Press kit
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Fatmata Binta is a Sierra Leonean chef of Fulani heritage, the first African winner of the Basque Culinary World Prize (2022), and FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa. She is the founder of Dine on a Mat, a nomadic pop-up dining experience, and the Fulani Kitchen Foundation, which works with women fonio farmers in Northern Ghana.
For an introduction or a feature
Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to a Fulani family of Guinean descent, Fatmata Binta draws on her nomadic heritage to craft a culinary philosophy rooted in sustainability, storytelling, and cultural preservation.
Her signature initiative, Dine on a Mat, is a nomadic pop-up dining experience built on communal seating, storytelling, and climate-proof ingredients such as fonio, baobab, and African locust bean — hosted across three continents, from its founding edition in Accra to the Bukhara Biennial in Uzbekistan.
In 2022, she made history as the first African chef to win the Basque Culinary World Prize. She used it to found the Fulani Kitchen Foundation, which works with women fonio farmers in Northern Ghana on production, processing, and market access, and now supports more than 300 families across 12 communities.
She is FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa, and an Ambassador for Sustainable Tourism with UN Tourism.
Awards and recognition
- 2025FAO Award for AchievementPresented by FAO Director-General QU Dongyu on World Food Day, in Rome
- 2025FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador for AfricaFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
- 2023Ambassador for Sustainable TourismUN Tourism (UNWTO)
- 2023Bellagio ResidentThe Rockefeller Foundation
- 2022Basque Culinary World PrizeBasque Culinary Center, the first African chef to win
- 2021Rising StarThe Best Chef Awards