Project description
Integrating heritage into the food-tourism value chain
Tourism-dependent regions such as the Canary Islands face sustainability challenges due to their reliance on global food distribution chains. Consequently, this overlooks local gastronomic traditions and leaves communities vulnerable to environmental risks. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the LOCATE project explores how tourism food provisioning can be made more sustainable by linking gastronomy to local agri-sea-food systems. By tracing ingredient provenance, food miles, and the seasonality of tourist dishes, the project analyses the environmental and socio-economic implications of current supply chains. The project’s goal is to develop sustainable solutions, including interactive maps, seasonal calendars, and alternative recipes.
Objective
LOCATE (Local Culinary Heritage and Tourism for Sustainability) is a participatory and interdisciplinary research project that examines the socio-cultural, environmental, and governance dimensions of food provisioning in the Canary Islands, one of the EU’s most tourism-dependent and import-reliant regions. Despite the archipelago’s rich culinary heritage, local agri-sea-food products remain marginal in tourism menus, where globalised supply chains dominate. This disconnection undermines sustainability, increases ecological vulnerability, and erodes food traditions, sparking growing public debate and protest against mass tourism. The project aims to strengthen the food–tourism value chain by restoring the role of heritage in shaping sustainable menus. It will: (1) map the provenance, seasonality and food miles of ingredients in emblematic tourist dishes; (2) assess the socio-environmental implications of current supply chains, focusing on import dependency and fisheries sustainability; (3) identify alternative recipes and practices that safeguard culinary traditions while reducing ecological footprints; and (4) co-develop interactive maps, seasonal calendars and short videos to engage consumers, restaurants and policymakers. LOCATE combines quantitative supply-chain mapping and environmental analysis with ethnographic fieldwork and participatory action research involving chefs, producers, fishers, suppliers, policymakers and consumers. This integrated approach ensures both rigorous evidence and actionable outputs, linking cultural narratives with material infrastructures. The project directly contributes to EU objectives under the Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy and the EU Sustainable Tourism Framework by positioning gastronomy as a strategic lever for sustainability transitions. The Canary Islands will serve as a testbed for island resilience, generating knowledge that is locally grounded yet globally transferable.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries fisheries
- social sciences sociology governance
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences physical geography cartography
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
28006 Madrid
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.