In the corporate and financial landscape, sustainability and ESG (environment, social and governance) responsibilities are too often assessed through a valuation lens, encapsulated by the familiar maxim “doing well by doing good.” This narrow focus risks elevating monetary value as the ultimate measure of success, fueling a backlash against ESG when it appears to chase short-term gains at the expense of long-term, real-economy resilience. The result is a growing worry about financialisation: markets chasing annual returns in a way that disconnects from building a green, equitable economy over the long horizon. To avoid this trap, there is a pressing need for the corporate sector, policymakers, and academia to come together to craft a set of value-based principles that can guide the way we measure value as the world transitions toward net-zero and a more sustainable economy. The aim is not merely to recalibrate metrics but to reframe the very notion of value itself so that it faithfully reflects ecological integrity, social equity, and governance that supports durable systemic health.
Reframing valuation in a net-zero world
In ongoing discussions about ESG, valuation has repeatedly emerged as a central touchstone. Yet, when valuation is driven primarily by short-term financial performance, it risks sidelining broader societal and environmental outcomes that are essential for long-run stability. A more nuanced approach is required—one that integrates ecological costs and benefits, social impacts, and governance quality into the assessment of economic value. This means expanding the traditional financial metrics to include externalities—both positive and negative—that arise from business activities, particularly those tied to resource use, emissions, labor practices, and community well-being. It also means acknowledging that sustainability-related value is not solely about bottom-line profits, but about the resilience and adaptability of firms within a simply functioning green economy.
The backlash against ESG, in this view, does not diminish the importance of environmental and social goals. Instead, it cautions against conflating governance with mere financial performance or treating sustainability as a compliance exercise aimed at improving stock prices in the short term. A comprehensive framework for value must reconcile the interests of shareholders with those of workers, suppliers, communities, and future generations. In practice, this entails developing robust valuation methods that capture long-term risk, opportunity, and the interdependencies between ecological systems and economic activity. It also requires clear governance structures that ensure accountability for decisions affecting climate outcomes, biodiversity, and social equity. By embedding these considerations into valuation practice, the corporate world can align incentives with the longer arc of social progress and environmental stewardship, rather than privileging a quarterly cadence of returns.
Industry-wide reform will also hinge on the collaboration of policymakers and researchers to establish consistent, credible standards for disclosures and metrics. This means moving beyond a patchwork of voluntary guidelines toward harmonised frameworks that are comparable across sectors and geographies. It means building capabilities to quantify non-financial value in ways that are tangible for investors and managers alike, while avoiding paradoxical incentives that reward superficial commitments without delivering real impact. In short, the path forward involves reimagining what constitutes value in a green economy, and crafting valuation models that reward durability, equity, and planetary health as enduring sources of value creation.
The overarching objective is clear: to ensure that valuation calculations in the transition to net-zero do not merely track a moving target of financial performance but anchor themselves in a broader, shared understanding of value that integrates ecological integrity, social justice, and responsible governance. By doing so, the private sector, custodians of wealth, and the public sector can work in concert to cultivate a sustainable, inclusive economy that stands the test of time.
Food as a transformative bridge between culinary wisdom and corporate ESG
Food is not merely sustenance; it embodies a vast repository of cultural knowledge, ecological practice, and economic activity that has evolved over millennia. My academic work has led me to collaborate with leading culinary and hospitality institutions in Hong Kong, Macau, and Tokyo to organise events centered on “Food, ESG and Sustainability.” There is a clear rationale behind this choice. The deepest human practices—the ways we cultivate, prepare, and share food—provide a fertile ground for rethinking how value is created, measured, and sustained in business. Contemporary culinary entrepreneurs and chefs reinterpret universal food and agricultural traditions in ways that illuminate new values for the corporate world, offering practical lessons for integrating sustainability and ESG into business models. These events have taken place in a spectrum of dining venues, including restaurants recognized with Michelin Green Star status and hotels that meet the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) criteria, illustrating that sustainability can be embedded within luxury and everyday hospitality alike.
Food and hospitality ecosystems naturally foreground questions of value because the sector’s very DNA centers on human experience, hospitality, and shared nourishment. The convergence of centuries-old knowledge with contemporary entrepreneurial practice creates a unique laboratory for reimagining ESG frameworks. The culinary world operates at the intersection of culture, ecology, and economics, and its success depends on maintaining resources, traditions, and innovations for future generations. When chefs and restaurateurs prioritize sustainable sourcing, energy efficiency, waste reduction, and fair labor practices, they demonstrate that ESG is not a distant policy issue but an operational mandate embedded in daily decisions. In this sense, gastronomic enterprises offer concrete, observable models of how sustainability can be translated into value—value that is both economic and moral, financial and ecological.
The dialogue between gastronomy and corporate ESG extends beyond individual restaurants or hotels. It encompasses a broader ecosystem—suppliers, producers, distributors, regulators, and financiers—whose collaboration can yield systemic improvements. By hosting events that bring together culinary artists, hospitality executives, and financial professionals, we create a space where diverse stakeholders can exchange ideas, learn from success stories, and co-create strategies that integrate sustainability into the core of business models. The goal is to extract lessons from culinary practice that translate into governance and strategy, enabling firms to incorporate ESG considerations into long-run capital planning, product design, and market positioning. In this way, food traditions become a living archive of value creation strategies that are compatible with a net-zero, inclusive economy.
Our work also emphasizes that the global food system is both a major source of environmental impact and a significant reservoir of human knowledge and ingenuity. The universal stories embedded in agriculture and cooking—seed selection, soil stewardship, harvesting cycles, seasonal menus, and community food sharing—carry with them a set of tacit principles about balance, stewardship, and reciprocity. By studying how contemporary chefs reframe these principles for modern audiences, we gain insight into how corporate leaders might reframe their ESG narratives. In particular, the culinary world’s emphasis on resource efficiency, provenance, transparency, and cultural respect offers a practical template for proving to stakeholders that ESG is not abstract theory but a lived practice that can generate durable value.
Moreover, the gastronomy sector’s emphasis on hospitality as a virtue—creating inclusive spaces, supporting local economies, and fostering cultural exchange—maps closely to the social and governance pillars of ESG. As we explore these connections, we see opportunities to develop valuation approaches that account for social capital, community resilience, and ethical governance as contributors to long-term financial performance. The outcomes of culinary-driven ESG dialogues thus extend beyond the kitchen; they inform corporate strategy, regulatory design, and investment decision-making, guiding a more holistic understanding of value in a changing world.
Dubai as a living laboratory for sustainable gastronomy and value creation
Dubai stands out as a rapidly evolving hub for gastronomy, hospitality, and cultural exchange, with a profound potential to illustrate how food systems can function as engines of sustainable value creation. As one of the world’s fastest-growing gastronomy capitals and a premier destination for food tourism, the city has developed a vast reservoir of culinary knowledge and expertise that continues to expand at a remarkable pace. In 2024 alone, Dubai issued 1,200 new restaurant licenses across a wide range of categories and cuisines, signaling an exceptional momentum in its restaurant and hospitality sectors. This rapid growth reflects Dubai’s distinctive multicultural identity, which is expressed through the culinary arts and underpinned by a deeply rooted tradition of hospitality within the UAE. The scale and speed of this development are not merely numbers; they signify a dynamic platform where sustainability principles can be tested, refined, and demonstrated at scale.
The city’s culinary landscape has become a key asset in the broader sustainability conversation. The licensing surge signals not only market vitality but also the willingness of diverse culinary practitioners to experiment with sustainable sourcing, energy-efficient operations, waste reduction, and responsible employment practices. The cosmopolitan fabric of Dubai’s dining scene—comprising local, regional, and international cuisines—offers rich case studies on how different culinary traditions navigate resource constraints, supply chain dynamics, and consumer expectations around environmental stewardship. For researchers and practitioners interested in ESG integration, Dubai’s hospitality sector provides a practical laboratory where sustainability initiatives translate into measurable business outcomes, including improved efficiency, enhanced brand equity, and resilient revenue streams even amid market fluctuations.
This environment also reinforces the argument that the food, hospitality, and tourism sectors are inherently well suited to discussing value in a way that resonates with both policymakers and financiers. The deep tradition of hospitality in Dubai and the UAE provides a historical context for service quality, guest experience, and community engagement—elements that are central to the “S” and “G” in ESG. At the same time, the city’s ongoing commitment to urban planning, sustainable transport, water and energy management, and green building practices demonstrates how a fast-growing economy can pursue ambitious environmental objectives without sacrificing competitiveness. The combination of a vibrant culinary ecosystem and a robust policy framework makes Dubai a powerful case study for how culinary knowledge can contribute to sustainability thinking and how value can be redefined to reflect ecological and social realities.
The Dubai story also underscores the broader potential of integrating food, ESG, and sustainability into national and regional development strategies. The experience shows that a city can successfully leverage its gastronomic strength to attract talent, investment, and tourism while pursuing rigorous environmental standards and labor rights protections. It demonstrates that sustainability is not a barrier to growth but, in many cases, a catalyst for more resilient and diverse economic activity. By studying and sharing Dubai’s experiences, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders can identify concrete practices for scaling ESG integration in the hospitality domain and beyond, offering transferable insights for other hubs seeking to align gastronomic excellence with environmental stewardship and inclusive growth.
Lessons from East Asia: reimagining ESG through food, hospitality, and finance
The East Asian context—spanning Hong Kong, Macau, and Tokyo—provides a unique vantage point for exploring how food, hospitality, and financial systems can come together to reshape ESG frameworks. In these cities, relationships between culinary excellence, tourism, and investment are deeply intertwined, creating fertile ground for innovative approaches to sustainability. The events organized around “Food, ESG and Sustainability” have brought together stakeholders from diverse sectors to share knowledge, inspire best practices, and challenge conventional models of value creation. This collaborative approach helps illuminate how traditional culinary wisdom and modern business practices can complement one another to advance ESG objectives.
Culinary traditions in East Asia are deeply rooted in careful resource management, seasonal cooking, and disciplined craft—principles that align closely with sustainability goals. Contemporary chefs and hospitality entrepreneurs leverage these traditions while incorporating modern techniques, supply chain innovations, and data-driven management to advance environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and governance. The dialogue between the culinary world and corporate finance in this region highlights the importance of reframing value to include intangible and long-term contributions—such as cultural preservation, biodiversity protection, and community resilience. Through such exchange, participants gain a more nuanced understanding of how ESG performance can be embedded into business models, investment theses, and policy instruments in ways that reflect both legacy knowledge and forward-looking innovation.
The East Asia events have shown that successful chefs, restaurants, and hotels that are rooted in universal traditional knowledge can contribute meaningfully to debates in corporate and policy spheres. They can challenge prevailing mind-sets in financial and regulatory communities by demonstrating how sustainability can be integrated into core value propositions rather than treated as an add-on. The exchange also helps illuminate practical pathways for moving away from a narrow focus on short-term returns toward strategies that emphasize long-run resilience, responsible sourcing, fair labor practices, and transparent governance. In this sense, culinary enterprises become living laboratories for testing ESG concepts, offering tangible evidence of how sustainable practices can drive brand loyalty, customer satisfaction, and sustainable financial performance over time.
From a research perspective, these experiences reinforce the argument that redefining economic value—through the lens of a net-zero, socially equitable, and ecologically sustainable economy—benefits from a dialogue that spans disciplines and sectors. By studying the way culinary practitioners in Hong Kong, Macau, and Tokyo integrate sustainability into menu design, procurement, operations, and staffing, scholars can identify replicable patterns and scalable strategies. The value of such cross-disciplinary learning lies in translating culinary insights into governance reforms, industry standards, and investment criteria that recognise and reward sustainability as a driver of long-term value rather than a peripheral consideration. The cross-cultural exchange also emphasizes the importance of adaptability: as markets, climates, and consumer expectations evolve, ESG frameworks must remain flexible enough to accommodate diverse practices while maintaining common standards for integrity and accountability.
Reimagining economic value: academic perspectives on a net-zero, equitable future
A fundamental aim of scholarship in this field is to redefine what constitutes economically valuable in the transition to a net-zero, socially just, and sustainable economy. The central question is how to translate the rich, context-dependent knowledge embedded in food and hospitality traditions into measurable, policy-relevant indicators that capture environmental, social, and governance outcomes. This requires an articulation of value that transcends conventional profit metrics and acknowledges the embeddedness of economic activity within ecological and social systems. By reframing value in this way, researchers can help align corporate incentives, investor expectations, and public policy with the broader goals of sustainability, resilience, and equity.
This redefinition involves several key components. First, it requires robust methods for quantifying environmental externalities, including greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use, biodiversity impacts, and waste generation. Second, social dimensions—such as fair labor practices, community engagement, access to nutritious food, and support for local economies—must be integrated into valuation frameworks as core components rather than as add-on considerations. Third, governance quality—including transparency, accountability, risk management, and stakeholder participation—must be recognized as a critical determinant of sustainable value creation. Together, these elements form a more comprehensive understanding of value that aligns financial performance with ecological health and social well-being.
In pursuing this broad research agenda, scholars can draw insights from traditional knowledge systems as well as contemporary innovations in culinary and hospitality sectors. The deep time horizons embedded in agricultural practices, seed stewardship, and ecosystem management offer lessons about balancing efficiency with resilience, diversity with specialization, and community needs with market opportunities. When these principles are combined with modern techniques—such as data analytics, supply chain traceability, lifecycle assessments, and equity-focused governance—academic work can generate practical tools for firms, regulators, and investors seeking to promote sustainable value creation. This integrated approach helps ensure that ESG frameworks are not merely aspirational statements but actionable, measurable, and enforceable standards that can drive real progress toward a net-zero economy.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has long documented the environmental damages caused by global food production and agricultural practices. This research underscores the scale of the challenge: food systems contribute significantly to deforestation, soil degradation, water scarcity, and emissions, among other impacts. Yet, this body of work also highlights a parallel truth: the same agricultural and culinary practices that have caused environmental strain are a vast reservoir of human knowledge, innovation, and cultural value that can inform more sustainable ways of living. The challenge lies in translating this dual reality into policy and practice. By recognizing both the ecological costs and the immense knowledge embedded in food systems, scholars and practitioners can design ESG strategies that reflect the complexity of real-world food production and consumption.
How can contemporary ESG research engage in dialogue with traditional and modern culinary practices to yield mutually reinforcing outcomes? The answer lies in creating platforms that enable collaboration across disciplines and sectors. Academic researchers can partner with chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, and financiers to explore questions such as how sustainable menus influence supply chains, how lifecycle thinking can be embedded in product development, and how governance structures can support fair and transparent labor practices throughout the hospitality industry. Such collaborations can lead to the development of new metrics, reporting frameworks, and incentive structures that better capture the value generated by sustainable culinary enterprises and the broader economy. In turn, these insights can inform public policy, investment decisions, and corporate strategy, advancing the shared objective of a greener, more equitable future.
The central argument, then, is not simply that food and sustainability intersect, but that this intersection can reshape our understanding of what counts as value. When the culinary world demonstrates that sustainability can be integrated as a core business principle and as a driver of competitive advantage, it provides a compelling proof point for broader ESG reform. By translating culinary wisdom into governance and investment practices, academics and practitioners can help reframe the terms of the debate—from whether ESG matters to how ESG can deliver durable value for people, planet, and prosperity.
The FAO perspective and the social value of culinary knowledge
The FAO’s research plays a pivotal role in highlighting both the environmental costs and the deep reservoir of human knowledge embedded in global food systems. On one hand, human activities related to food and agriculture are among the most environmentally burdensome, contributing to climate change, habitat loss, soil erosion, water depletion, and nutrient runoff. These findings illuminate the urgent need to transform food production and consumption patterns to reduce ecological footprints. On the other hand, the same agricultural and culinary practices represent a vast store of experience, techniques, and cultural wisdom that have sustained communities and ecosystems through centuries. This dual nature—ecological risk coupled with immense reservoir of value—offers a unique vantage point for rethinking how we define and measure value in the modern economy.
From an ESG research standpoint, the FAO’s insights encourage a more holistic framing of value that integrates ecological health with social and cultural capital. The environmental costs identified by FAO should inform decision-making processes in both policy and business, guiding investments toward regenerative agriculture, sustainable supply chains, and circular economy practices. Yet the FAO’s work also invites recognition of the knowledge embedded in traditional and contemporary culinary practices as a source of sustainable solutions. This means not simply avoiding harm but actively harnessing the expertise of generations to design systems that nurture biodiversity, preserve cultural heritage, and empower communities. The key implication for ESG frameworks is that value should be linked to the resilience and adaptability of food systems and the people who depend on them, rather than to short-term price movements or narrowly defined financial metrics.
In translating FAO insights into practical ESG applications, several avenues emerge. First, businesses can engage directly with local farmers, foragers, and fishers to foster transparent, equitable supply chains that reward sustainable practices and provide stable livelihoods. Second, menus and product offerings can be designed to prioritize seasonal availability, low-impact ingredients, and waste-minimization strategies that align with ecological limits. Third, governance structures within hospitality enterprises can be strengthened to reflect inclusive decision-making, fair labor standards, and community engagement that extends beyond the firm’s walls. By incorporating these elements into ESG reporting and valuation models, firms can demonstrate how sustainable food systems contribute to long-term value creation, social welfare, and environmental stewardship. The synthesis of FAO-derived insights with culinary innovation thus offers a powerful pathway for reframing value in the modern economy.
A broader implication of this approach is the potential to align research agendas with practical policy objectives. If policymakers can draw on FAO findings to design incentives and regulations that support sustainable food systems, while also appreciating the cultural and economic value of culinary practices, they can create an enabling environment for businesses to invest in long-horizon, value-driven strategies. This alignment between research, policy, and industry is essential for achieving a net-zero, inclusive economy in which the environmental costs of food production are mitigated, while the social and cultural benefits of gastronomic knowledge are preserved and leveraged for broader economic resilience.
Bridging corporate, policy, and culinary worlds: pathways to actionable ESG
The convergence of corporate strategy, public policy, and culinary ingenuity offers a unique opportunity to advance ESG in tangible, measurable ways. By drawing on culinary traditions and modern hospitality practices, we can design value frameworks that reflect the practical realities of food systems, supply chains, and community impacts. The aim is to create a cohesive ecosystem in which research informs policy, policy shapes corporate behavior, and cuisine demonstrates the feasibility and desirability of sustainable practices in everyday operations.
A practical starting point is to develop collaborative platforms that bring together chefs, hotel managers, investors, regulators, and researchers to co-create ESG standards, metrics, and reporting protocols. These platforms can facilitate shared learnings about sustainable sourcing, waste reduction, energy efficiency, and labor rights, while also exploring innovative financing mechanisms that reward long-term value creation. For example, performance-based incentives tied to outcomes such as reduced food waste, improved supplier transparency, and lower emissions can align financial interests with ecological and social goals. In addition, such collaborations can help standardize disclosures, ensuring that investors have access to consistent, decision-useful information about ESG performance across sectors and regions.
Another actionable pathway is to translate culinary effectiveness into governance practices within firms. The hospitality sector offers a range of governance lessons, including stakeholder engagement, transparent procurement, ethical marketing, and the balancing of profitability with social responsibility. By incorporating these principles into boardroom discussions, risk assessments, and capital allocation decisions, companies can foster a culture of ESG accountability that extends beyond compliance to value creation. This approach also supports better risk management: when governance is robust and transparent, the organisation is more resilient to social and environmental shocks, enabling sustained performance and investor confidence.
Education and capacity-building play a crucial role in these efforts. Training programs and curricula that integrate ESG concepts with culinary and hospitality training help cultivate a new generation of leaders who understand the practicalities of sustainable value. Students and professionals who can connect sustainability analytics with on-the-ground operations—such as sourcing choices, kitchen design, and guest experiences—are better equipped to implement and advocate for ESG in their organisations. The knowledge transfer from academia to industry becomes more effective when it is rooted in real-world contexts and substantiated by data, case studies, and metrics that stakeholders can trust.
From a policy perspective, the development of coherent, credible standards and incentives is essential. Regulatory frameworks can encourage sustainable procurement, provide incentives for energy efficiency upgrades, and require transparent reporting on environmental and social performance. These measures create a level playing field and signal long-term commitment to sustainability to investors and consumers alike. The synergy between policy, business, and culinary practice thus offers a practical blueprint for mainstreaming ESG in a way that aligns with cultural values, economic realities, and environmental limits.
In summary, the intersection of food, hospitality, and ESG provides a powerful lens through which to reimagine the meaning of value in a net-zero economy. By leveraging culinary wisdom, hospitality excellence, and rigorous governance, we can advance ESG in ways that are meaningful, measurable, and scalable. The evidence from contemporary gastronomy—including the fast-paced growth of Dubai’s restaurant scene and the collaborative learning fostered by East Asian culinary events—demonstrates that sustainability can be integrated into both the art and the business of hospitality. The challenge remains to translate these insights into widespread practice across industries and regions, but the potential rewards—a more equitable society, a healthier planet, and a resilient economy—are decisive incentives to act.
Practical implications for business strategy and policy design
The insights gathered from the confluence of food, ESG, and sustainability have several concrete implications for business strategy and policy design. First, value creation must be understood in a multi-dimensional frame that recognises environmental stewardship, social equity, and governance quality as core drivers of long-term performance. Firms should integrate these dimensions into strategic planning, capital allocation, and risk management, ensuring that sustainability objectives are embedded in every major decision rather than treated as a separate project. Second, there is a case for expanding disclosure regimes to capture the full spectrum of ESG outcomes, including supply chain integrity, labor practices, biodiversity preservation, and community impact. Transparent reporting enables investors to assess true risks and opportunities associated with sustainability, promoting accountability and informed decision-making. Third, incentive structures—whether in executive compensation, investment mandates, or regulatory rewards—should align with durable ESG outcomes. Rewards tied to sustained reductions in emissions, improvements in worker well-being, and governance reforms create the right incentives for steady progress rather than episodic compliance.
From a policy perspective, the key is to craft frameworks that incentivise sustainable value creation while ensuring social equity. This entails designing public policies that support regenerative agriculture, sustainable tourism, and green infrastructure, as well as policies that protect workers’ rights and empower local communities. Such policies should complement market-based mechanisms by providing predictability, long-term vision, and credible enforcement. In parallel, academic research should focus on developing robust, implementable metrics that reflect the complexities of real-world sustainability. This involves refining life-cycle assessment methods, improving the accuracy and comparability of non-financial indicators, and testing valuation models across diverse sectors. The cross-pollination between policy design and academic inquiry will help translate theoretical frameworks into practical tools that businesses can apply to create sustainable value.
Crucially, these efforts must be anchored in a broad and inclusive conversation that recognises the value of culinary knowledge and hospitality experience as legitimate sources of expertise in ESG discussions. The practical takeaway is that food and hospitality are not peripheral domains but central arenas where sustainability ideas can be tested, refined, and scaled. By embracing this perspective, firms can build stronger brands, foster trust with consumers, and contribute to a healthier planet and more just societies. The journey toward a net-zero economy is not a narrow technical exercise; it is a comprehensive transformation of how organisations create value, how policies incentivise responsible behaviour, and how communities engage with the food system that nourishes them.
The path forward: a collaborative, value-centered ESG agenda
To realise the vision of a value-centered ESG framework, sustained collaboration across sectors and borders is essential. The private sector, governments, and academic institutions must converge around shared objectives, aligning strategies with the long-term health of the planet and its people. This requires concrete steps, including the development of standardized, transparent reporting, investment in sustainable infrastructure, and the cultivation of leadership that prioritises the social and ecological implications of business choices.
A practical action plan would include: establishing cross-sector coalitions to co-create ESG metrics that reflect environmental outcomes, social impact, and governance quality; advancing supply chain transparency through technology-enabled traceability and supplier accountability; scaling investments in regenerative agriculture and sustainable hospitality practices; and fostering public-private partnerships that address systemic challenges such as food waste, water scarcity, and emissions in the tourism and food sectors.
In addition, education and capacity-building are essential to sustain momentum. Training programs that blend ESG theory with hands-on culinary and hospitality practice can produce professionals who are adept at integrating sustainability into operations, strategy, and policy advocacy. Such programs should emphasise critical thinking about value, ethical decision-making, and the metrics needed to demonstrate impact to stakeholders. By equipping a workforce that understands both the culinary and the corporate dimensions of sustainability, we build a more resilient ecosystem capable of delivering durable value to communities, investors, and the environment.
Finally, the narrative around ESG must evolve to emphasise long-term value creation rather than short-term gains. This entails communicating the benefits of sustainable business models to a broad audience, including investors who seek stable, risk-adjusted returns, policymakers who design effective regulations, and consumers who increasingly demand responsible, ethical, and transparent practices. The convergence of culinary knowledge, hospitality excellence, and rigorous ESG practice offers a tangible pathway to achieving this broader societal objective.
Conclusion
The relationship between sustainability, ESG, and value is complex and multifaceted. The traditional focus on monetary returns must be broadened to incorporate ecological integrity, social equity, and governance quality as integral components of value. Food and hospitality provide a compelling bridge for translating abstract ESG concepts into concrete, actionable practices that demonstrate how sustainable value can be created and sustained. The examples from Dubai’s vibrant gastronomic landscape and the collaborative, cross-cultural dialogues in East Asia illustrate how culinary knowledge and hospitality excellence can inform corporate and policy decision-making in meaningful ways. The FAO’s findings reinforce that while food systems can impose environmental costs, they are also a vast reservoir of human wisdom and potential solutions to sustainability challenges. By fostering collaboration among the corporate world, policymakers, and academia, we can redefine what counts as value in a net-zero, inclusive economy and implement strategies that deliver durable benefits for people and the planet. The path ahead is one of shared purpose, rigorous measurement, and konkrete action—where the gastronomy of today helps shape the green economy of tomorrow.