Belém, the capital of the state of Pará, is a city of great historical, cultural, and economic significance in northern Brazil. Its airport infrastructure is represented by the Belém International Airport – Val-de-Cans, which operates both domestic and international flights and serves as one of the main gateways to the Amazon. Tourism in the city is driven by natural attractions located in its insular area, which consists of 39 islands, as well as conservation units such as the Utinga State Park and the Environmental Protection Area of Ilha do Combú, providing direct contact with the rich Amazonian biodiversity. Culturally, the Feliz Lusitânia complex stands out, housing the Forte do Presépio, the Cathedral of Sé, the Museum of Sacred Art, and the Casa das Onze Janelas. Nearby, the Ver-o-Peso market serves as a key hub for the supply of regional gastronomic products.
Gastronomy, in fact, is one of Belém’s defining features. Recognized as a UNESCO Creative City in this field, the capital of Pará holds an intangible heritage shaped by products and food traditions of ancestral indigenous peoples. The manioc plant, for example, was domesticated in the Amazon about seven millennia ago. Later, African and Portuguese influences, along with those of migrants, contributed to shaping contemporary Amazonian cuisine.
In this context, Belém serves as an open-air laboratory for understanding the formation of regional gastronomy. The recognition of territorial and historical contingencies and their impact on culinary traditions will be key topics of discussion during the working sessions of SIGA 2025—an inspiration to explore the regional character of global cuisine and sustainability as a pillar for building food systems committed to the planet’s future.
