Header Image: (I–R) Miguel Loya, Luis Lera, Luis de la Peña, Sol Andrada, Luis Suárez de Lezo, Ana Rodríguez, Cecilio Folgado and Borja Beneyto. Credit: David de Luis
Madrid | 02 March 2026
The Royal Academy of Gastronomy of Spain has placed hunting at the centre of public debate, recognising its cultural, economic and sustainable value within Spain’s rural and gastronomic landscape.
Held at the Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid as part of the Academy’s Gastronomic Culture Dialogues, the event brought together representatives of public administration, the conservation sector, the hunting community and leading figures from the culinary world to examine the role of hunting in biodiversity management, territorial stewardship and rural development.
The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) participated prominently in the round table, represented by its Vice-President, Luis de la Peña, who contributed the organisation’s international perspective on conservation through sustainable use. Throughout the discussion, speakers emphasised that responsibly managed hunting contributes to ecosystem balance, biodiversity protection and rural economic resilience, particularly in territories where few alternative economic opportunities exist.
The dialogue underlined the historic and cultural relationship between hunting and gastronomy. Spain’s distinctive hunting modalities, together with its role as one of Europe’s leading producers and exporters of high-quality game meat, were highlighted as part of a living cultural heritage that remains insufficiently recognised. Participants agreed that this interaction between hunting and cuisine represents a powerful lever for rural development, territorial sustainability and quality tourism.
In this context, the Royal Academy of Gastronomy promoted the drafting of a Manifesto on preserving, enhancing and promoting the cultural heritage arising from the interaction between hunting and gastronomy in Spain, a document endorsed by the CIC. The Manifesto calls upon public administrations and the private sector to actively protect, strengthen and transmit this heritage, recognising its economic, social and environmental benefits.
For the CIC, the Madrid dialogue reinforces a central principle: conservation policy, sustainable use and cultural heritage are interconnected. When responsibly managed and properly communicated, hunting contributes not only to wildlife conservation, but also to the vitality of rural territories and the preservation of cultural identity.
The event concluded with a themed lunch centred on game cuisine, further illustrating the tangible link between sustainable wildlife management and Spain’s culinary excellence.
References and Further Reading:
Manifesto (Spanish):
Article in El Debate:
Media Contact:
Tristan Breijer MBA FRGS FRSA MCIJ
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
CIC – International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation
Email: tristan.breijer@cic-wildlife.org
Mobile: +44 781 408 7423
Website: https://www.cic-wildlife.org
