Andorra Manifesto: A Commitment to the Mountains

Andorra Taste closed its second edition with the Andorra Manifesto, signed by fifty chefs and producers, including Gastón Acurio, Joan Roca, Ana Ros, Fina Puigdevall, and Sven Wassmer. The document denounces the problems facing mountain areas and commits to finding solutions. It is open to anyone who shares its principles and began to take shape at the first edition of the congress.

The signatories are calling for new regulations to strengthen rural areas and ensure the viability of mountain agriculture and livestock farming. They demand the protection of natural environments and the regulation of direct sales from producers and gatherers to restaurants, which helps retain the population and distribute wealth.

They also call for promoting research and development of processed products that add value for producers, harvesters, and cooks, along with quality certifications to protect them. Furthermore, they demand that rural communities have the same rights to health, education, and digital connectivity as urban communities, with plans and aid to revitalize homes and villages.

For their part, the chefs are committed to respecting the seasonality of the products, to highlighting their origin and to preserving the culinary heritage of the mountains with their creativity.

Benjamín Lana, CEO of Vocento Gastronomía, the congress's organizer along with the gsr group and Turisme de Andorra, states that "cuisine can be a way to raise awareness about rural areas and natural spaces." For his part, Betim Budzaku, CEO of Andorra Turisme, affirms that "Andorra's commitment to gastronomy will be crucial for the Principality's future."

Among the participants was Swiss chef Rebecca Clopath, founder of the Biohof Taratsch restaurant, located on the farm where she grew up in Lohn. Her natural, essential, and simple cuisine seeks, in her own words, a "conscious menu." High-altitude wines also took center stage, with a tasting of wineries operating at over 1,000 meters above sea level, led by sommelier Ferran Centelles.

The popular part of Andorra Taste opened with a fair on Veedors street in Escaldes-Engordany, where around twenty Andorran and foreign chefs are offering tapas and dishes until Sunday, along with cooking workshops, activities for children and live music.