Alpine food traditions nominated to UNESCO's Register of Good

Alpine food traditions nominated to UNESCO's Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

On 11 April 2026 Italy, Switzerland, France and Slovenia submitted a multinational nomination to the UNESCO Convention Secretariat seeking inscription of Alpine food traditions in the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices. The initiative focuses on mountain communities and the living practices that shape Alpine cultural landscapes.

The nomination goes beyond recipes, recognizing a cultural system that combines traditional knowledge, local economies and sustainable resource management tied to seasonal rhythms.

• Participating countries: Italy, Switzerland, France, Slovenia.
• Practices included: foraging, transhumance, cheese-making, traditional farming and local knowledge transmission networks.
• Goals: protect living practices, promote sustainability, enhance cross-border cooperation and support intergenerational transmission.

For visitors and cultural operators, the nomination signals growing interest in sustainable itineraries, local food production and environmental education projects that highlight the intangible heritage of Alpine areas.

What it means: inscription in the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices recognizes concrete measures taken by communities to protect heritage, rather than designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site. If accepted, the nomination could boost cooperation projects, safeguard funding and international visibility.

Follow updates from the UNESCO Secretariat and local Alpine initiatives for further developments.