Ghana Food Movement wins 50 Best’s 2026 Champions of Change Award

Ghana Food Movement, a youth-led non-profit organisation working to reshape Ghana’s food system, has been named the winner of the 2026 Champions of Change Award by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Announced on 19^th August, the accolade recognises individuals and groups in hospitality working towards a more inclusive, sustainable and equitable industry. Alongside honouring the team, 50 Best will make a financial donation to support the continuation of its programmes.

The organisation is led by managing directors Abdallah Smith and Aimée Wallin, impact director Pauline Lingg and creative director Lydia Kekeli Amenyaglo. It focuses on Ghana’s indigenous food heritage and on the country’s cuisine as a means of driving social, economic and environmental sustainability, working with young people, farmers, chefs and entrepreneurs. Their work is organised around three areas: community building, food education and local food promotion, with programmes addressing challenges including the legacy of historical food systems, rising dependence on food imports, changing diets and the diminishing value placed on indigenous ingredients. Through workshops, mentorship, business development support and masterclasses, the organisation says it has helped more than 250 young people access employment opportunities in the food industry.

Two initiatives were launched in 2026. The Ghana Plate Project is a school nutrition programme that intends to change food environments by producing school meals and snacks from indigenous ingredients such as fonio, Bambara beans, sorghum, baobab and moringa. It currently operates across four pilot schools, reaching approximately 400 students, with expansion to around 800 expected by the end of the year. The second initiative, Pathways to Support Climate Resilient Indigenous Food Systems, researches how indigenous knowledge, traditional crops and community expertise can contribute to climate resilience and sustainable food systems.

Rachael Hogg at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants said: “We recognise the team’s exceptional initiatives and the meaningful difference they continue to make in shaping their community. It is admirable to see an organisation not only celebrating Ghana’s rich culinary heritage but also creating tangible opportunities for young people, empowering local farmers and entrepreneurs, and inspiring lasting change through food.”

The Champions of Change Award is the first of several accolades to be announced ahead of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 awards ceremony, which takes place in Lima, Peru, on the evening of Wednesday 4^th November. The award was introduced in 2021 and extended to the organisation’s regional restaurant awards in 2025.

Ghana Food Movement’s managing director Smith explained: “Most days, we are so focused on the work in front of us that we rarely stop to see how far we have come. The Champions of Change Award is especially meaningful because it recognises not one individual, but a movement – farmers, chefs, young food leaders, educators and communities working to reshape Ghana’s food system. The support will help us deepen that work, by creating South-South chef collaborations, connecting young food actors across borders, bringing indigenous knowledge and crops into the future and creating healthier, locally sourced school meals. We are deeply grateful for this recognition, but we also know there is much more to do as we continue to build together.”

Food Desk

For further information about the Ghana Food Movement, visit the organisation’s website here.

For further information about the 50 Best Restaurants awards or Champions of Change, visit the organisation’s website here.