The third episode of the podcast series, focusing on foodservice professionals who work to make a positive impact in the community, comes from Morocco. Nora Fitzgerald Belahcen launched Amal, a non-profit project to empower women, as a small bakery in 2012.
Today Amal has grown significantly to include a restaurant staffed by students of the program as well as satellite cafes. Belahcen talks us through the program and the journey getting it established, as she outlines the barriers facing the women. In a country where few women play a part in the labor market, poverty is another element.
“Cooking school is reserved for people who come from prosperity and to be a good cook you have to be immersed in the restaurant industry and culture, going out to eat and putting together the things that create your own culture of food,” she says.
This year she found herself spearheading the effort to provide food to the victims of the earthquake in Morocco; a huge job that is only just beginning. Also this year, she was recognized as a Champion of Change by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and travelled to the gastronomy celebration to collect the award.
In this podcast she speaks about the power of food and the responsibility of the foodservice industry to make a positive impact on the world around us.
You can listen to the podcast below:
This podcast series is sponsored by Vulcan, which is among the largest manufacturers of commercial foodservice equipment. For more than 150 years, it has been recognized as the best-in-class supplier of top-quality, energy efficient cooking equipment. Offering a full line-up, Vulcan can answer all your kitchen needs. Masterful design. Precision performance. And state-of-the-art innovations. Formore information visit www.vulcanequipment.com
