• traditional food markets and traditional food industry; and
• tradition of hosting gastronomic festivals, awards, and contests.
By nominating Tucson and its surrounding foodshed as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, we wish to celebrate this unique and world-renowned source of desert gastronomy in the Americas. Tucson and its surrounding foodshed have received recognition in the international media as a hotbed of contemporary innovations in desert farming, foraging, and creative food elaboration. By formalizing such recognition and cultural exchanges through the Creative Cities Network, we will galvanize the talents found in our resident cultures, chefs, farmers and ranchers, our institutions, non-profit organizations, and businesses to make Tucson the destination for Southwest Borderlands cuisine and culinary tourism.