Winner 2017
“The award shine a light on those communities that for years have struggled to be recognized for their ancestral value and contribution to national cultural identity. It is a way to mitigate the silence generated by armed conflict, injustice and exclusion. In this process of reconciliation, the country IS beginning to understand the importance of placing faith in gastronomy as a significant tool for the economic development of those populations where the real wealth that generates wealth is found”
Recognized for promoting the value of Colombian biodiversity, she showcases on his restaurant Leo (Bogota) little-known ingredients while championing local communities and gastronomic traditions, being a great influence on Colombian cuisine. Through the Funleo foundation, Espinosa revives the ancestral knowledge and know-how of Colombian communities. She supports rural development based on food sovereignty, and promotes routes to market for small producers as well as spaces for education, nutrition, enterprise and tourism. With the support of the BCWP, in 2018 she inaugurated the Zotea Culinary Center in Chocó (Pacific coast), made up of a restaurant, a greenhouse and a production center that will contribute to the creation of value chains for local communities.
