Chef Rodrigo Pacheco
Yale Residency
April 09 – April 16, 2026
In Collaboration with the Council on Latin American & Iberian Studies
During his weeklong residency, Chef Pacheco trained Yale Hospitality chefs on using cuisine as a tool for sustainability, cultural preservation, and connection. Grounded in restoring and connecting ecosystems, wisdom, and flavor, his approach blends sustainable gastronomy with Indigenous knowledge to inspire his Ecuadorian cuisine.
Throughout the residency, Chef Pacheco also met with students to learn about their culinary and sustainability research, engaged with cultural groups and communities across campus and New Haven, and participated in conversations exploring the intersection of food, identity, and environmental stewardship.
Combining Sustainable Gastronomy and Indigenous Wisdom
Chef Rodrigo Pacheco is the founder of the Bocavaldivia Research and Development Restaurant, located in Puerto Cayo, Manabí, and the founder of Foresta Restaurant, located in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. His vision, career, and purpose—along with his extraordinary participation in the gastronomic competition The Final Table, produced by Netflix—have been widely recognized by the international press and global organizations.
He is more than a professional chef; he is a specialist in sustainable hospitality as well as a promoter of culture and biodiversity who bases his culinary art on restoring and connecting ecosystems, wisdom, and flavors. One of Chef Pacheco's main life goals is to create the largest natural, cultural, and community corridor on the planet.
