Developing a UNESCO Proposal for Popayán’s Culinary Industry

The Mayor’s Office of Popayán, Colombia, identified UNESCO’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) as a potential grant opportunity for projects focusing on economic growth, increasing community participation, and incentivizing collaboration in the culinary industry. Over four weeks, the Capstone team conducted fieldwork—interviewing 14 groups of stakeholders and making daily observations of restaurants and markets—to identify gaps within the sector. The team’s findings revealed a lack of collaboration between culinary groups and a missing shared narrative, leading to difficulties in international marketing and economic expansion. To assist with marketing, the team recommended a clear articulation of the region’s culinary history and integrating that history into local restaurant experiences. This narrative-based solution included two major activities—a video history project and professional development opportunities for women working in the city’s culinary industry—to be shared with the IFCD in grant proposals and locally to generate economic growth for the industry.