Slow Food and Safeguarding Culinary Heritage

Ahmed Zaki, founder of Azka Farms, aims to promote greater ethical consumption, emphasizing transparently and sustainably in business.
After years of in-depth research on food ethics and its impact on society and sustainability, Zaki founded his company to promote self-sufficiency in food production across Saudi Arabia. Through the "AZKA Basket" platform and AZKA Farmers' markets, he brings together over 180 local producers and farmers from 13 regions across the Kingdom, supporting local agriculture and advancing sustainable food practices. 

Additionally, AZKA has been entrusted with key government projects, including documenting Saudi Arabia’s wild plants and their culinary properties, as well as collaborating with Slow Food to establish Slow Food Saudi Arabia.

Barbara Massaad is is a founding member of Slow Food Beirut current president of the Lebanese chapter, a delegate of the International "Terra Madre" Community and has been nominated a Slow Food International Counsel for the Middle East. Massaad has hosted a TV segment introducing viewers to culinary tours around Lebanon, focusing on local foods and producers. She is a contributing editor to local and international publications. 

Influenced by her father, a professional photographer, famous for his artistic portraits, Massaad decided to combine both culinary art and photography to create her first book "Man'oushé: Inside the Street Corner Lebanese Bakery", winner of the Gourmand Cookbook Award 2009 and The Lebanese Academy of Gastronomy 2009.

She has since published an array of books and is currently working on a book while simultaneously developing her blog "My Culinary Journey through Lebanon". She shares her experience working as a food consultant and menu developer in different projects and countries promoting Lebanese food culture.