Gastronomy: the tool of cultural diplomacy in International Relations

Abstract

Feeding a society is more than satisfying a biological need; it implies the fusion of socio-cultural, economic, ecological, philosophical, political, religious, and international facts, among others. States carry out transactions that involve the exchange of food, customs and production teachniques, as well as the consumption and use of them. This has intensified with the phenomenon of globalization, the proliferation of social media, and the permeabilization of statial and intercultural barriers; with which food habits, food production systems, and commerce and culinary culture have been modified, generating important impacts on world food security. In this sense, this paper intends to establish the link between cultural diplomacy, gastronomy and international relations, determining how gastronomy can act as a catalyst for cultural exchange and bringing nations together, analyzing gastronomy as a tool to promote advances in food security, reflecting on cultural diplomacy as an alternative for peaceful understanding in a globalized international system. This article employs a qualitative method by conducting an interdisciplinary document analysis of diverse sources, emphasizing the use of reflectivist international relations theories.