Feeding COP31: Türkiye’s flavors on the climate table

Aylin Öney Tan

Is Antalya ready? That is the big question as COP31 approaches. When the U.N. climate conference opens in Antalya on Nov. 9, the negotiations will not be the only thing on the table. Hosting a summit on this scale is no small feat. From Nov. 9 to 20, the former EXPO 2016 grounds, now renamed the COP31 site, will host heads of state, negotiators, scientists, activists and visitors from around 200 countries. Organizers expect 100,000 to 150,000 visitors and more than 100 heads of state and government. As world leaders and tens of thousands of delegates gather in Antalya, Türkiye is turning the summit’s catering into a showcase of Anatolian food culture, with local dishes, regional kitchens and a strong push toward plant-based, low-waste eating.

Feeding the whopping number of visitors is a huge logistical task; feeding them in a way that fits the spirit of a climate summit is an even greater one. The task is far from a side issue at a climate conference. There are a number of issues that need to be handled with extra care. Thanks to Solid Consulting Group (SCG), which treats this huge task almost as a national mission, COP visitors will have a variety of choices. Tolga Atalay, founder of SCG, a former chef and now an expert in creating concepts for brands and top restaurants, has been working for months to get the site ready for the occasion.

Message is on the table

Food systems account for roughly a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and what is served at a COP has increasingly become a message in itself. Antalya’s message is clear: the answer lies not only in new technologies but also in the wisdom of traditional cooking, which has long made the most of seasonal, local ingredients and wasted little. Local and traditional is another message on the table. That message starts at the very top. In the Blue Zone, where world leaders and high-level delegations meet, guests will be served three of Antalya’s best-loved local classics: “Şiş köfte,” grilled meatballs on skewers; “piyaz,” the city’s white bean salad dressed with tahini; and “kabak tatlısı,” pumpkin topped with tahini and walnuts. Antalya’s fragrant bitter orange “turunç” preserves and a selection of fish from the Mediterranean will join them, along with geographically protected produce of Antalya.

Plant-forward, but not truly vegan

For the climate-conscious crowd following every COP, the real test is how much of the menu is meat-free. Here, too, Antalya has set an ambitious bar. According to the Food & Climate Action Group, the COP31 Presidency has set a target of 60 percent meat-free catering, with fully plant-based cafés on site and two Antalya-based vegan businesses invited to the food court. While this may fall short for advocates pushing for an entirely vegan menu, perspectives remain mixed. In practice, there will still be plenty of options for non-vegan attendees.

Atalay says he has succeeded in getting “kokoreç” accepted. According to him, even though this Turkish street food delicacy looks outrageously carnivorous, consisting of char-grilled rolls of lamb intestines and offal, it fits perfectly with the “Nose to Tail” philosophy of wasting nothing from the animal.

Plates served in Antalya over the next two weeks carry a quiet argument of their own. Much of what Türkiye is putting on the table, from “piyaz” and bulgur pilafs to olive-oil-braised vegetables or wild greens, was plant-forward long before the term was coined. The ubiquitous vegan “çiğköfte” is another example, an oxymoron by definition, as the name means raw meatballs, but it is a bulgur-based version made without a trace of meat. These are dishes born of thrift and the seasons, of cooks who wasted nothing and used what the land around them provided.

Seven regions, seven kitchens

The Green Zone, open to civil society and the public, is where Anatolia’s culinary diversity really comes into view. Under the “Seven Regions, Seven Kitchens” concept coordinated by the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry, food houses built in traditional architecture will serve the cuisines of the regions; the cities of Trabzon, Çankırı, Gaziantep, Kayseri and Konya will be presented, along with a dedicated Zero Waste kitchen. Needless to say, the host city has its own showcase, too. Antalya Governor’s Office also has its own house in the zone, serving typical dishes, all with locally sourced regional ingredients. The Antalya House in the Green Zone will introduce visitors to the province’s regional cuisine and its products registered with geographical indications. Culinary heritage is at the heart of every menu. In the food court, delegates will find many of Türkiye’s best-loved food brands under one roof.

From local mineral water to Turkish coffee

Long negotiating days run on caffeine, and the summit’s coffee bars cater to every taste. Water, quite fittingly, comes from a Turkish humanitarian name. Kızılay, the mineral water brand of the Turkish Red Crescent, will serve natural mineral waters from its springs in Erzincan and Afyon throughout the Blue Zone. A special COP31 edition of Erzincan mineral water has been bottled for the occasion.

When it comes to coffee, the choice is clear: The nearest coffee beans possible. For this reason, regardless of the brand, all kiosks will be serving Ethiopian coffee, which promises a shorter trip. Beans shipped from Djibouti through the Red Sea and Suez Canal reach the eastern Mediterranean after a sea voyage of roughly 3,000 kilometers. By contrast, coffee from Brazil or Vietnam, the world’s two largest producers, travels more than 10,000 kilometers. Ethiopian coffee also fits into the story of Turkish coffee. Coffee originally traveled from Ethiopia via Yemen to Ottoman Istanbul, where the first coffeehouses opened in the 1550s and Turkish coffee was born. From Istanbul, it spread to the rest of the world. Today, Turkish coffee features on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

It would be easy to dismiss a summit catering as a sideshow to the serious business of climate diplomacy. If Antalya gets it right, COP31 may be remembered not only for what was agreed upon in the negotiating halls, but also for proving that a climate-friendly table can be generous and delicious while honoring Türkiye’s rich culinary heritage.