BizkaiaGipuzkoaArabaVitoria-GasteizLlanada AlavesaRioja AlavesaMontaña AlavesaValles AlavesesCantábrica AlavesaEstribaciones del GorbeaDonostialdeaBidasoaTolosaldeaGoierriUrola KostaDebagoienaDebabarrenaGran BilbaoDurangaldeaLea-ArtibaiBusturialdeaUribe KostaEnkarterriArratia-NerviónMungialdeaBizkaiaGipuzkoaArabaVitoria-GasteizLlanada AlavesaRioja AlavesaMontaña AlavesaValles AlavesesCantábrica AlavesaEstribaciones del GorbeaDonostialdeaBidasoaTolosaldeaGoierriUrola KostaDebagoienaDebabarrenaGran BilbaoDurangaldeaLea-ArtibaiBusturialdeaUribe KostaEnkarterriArratia-NerviónMungialdea
EU|ES|EN
Diario Euskadi logo

Diario Euskadi

Maitane Cabezas Promotes a More Sustainable World Through Culinary Pedagogy with Koxinatu Project

The Social Education specialist created the Koxinatu project to foster food sovereignty and sustainable cooking.

Woman's hands preparing food with fresh vegetables on a rustic table.
IA

Woman's hands preparing food with fresh vegetables on a rustic table.

Maitane Cabezas, originally from Zumaia, demonstrates her commitment to food sovereignty and a more sustainable world through the Koxinatu project, using culinary pedagogy as a tool.

Maitane Cabezas (Zumaia, 1985) has always had a sentiment for social justice and caring for nature. After studying Social Education and specializing in international cooperation, she worked in development non-governmental organizations (NGOs), primarily in the field of education for transformation. This experience strengthened her connection with food sovereignty movements and made her aware of the importance of the rural world and the primary sector.
In 2020, Cabezas made a career change. Spending nine hours a day in front of a computer did not satisfy her, and leveraging her passion and skill for cooking, she created the Koxinatu project. "What I used to do from an office, I now do from the kitchen, with a clear goal: to achieve a more sustainable world," she explains.
Although the pandemic delayed the project's launch, Cabezas used the time to stay home and develop it. With the support of the Bizkaia Provincial Council, she launched Koxinatu. This project has helped her express her connection to the land and aims to revive the habit of cooking that is being lost in society. According to Cabezas, cooking is "an experience where care is central," and she believes the kitchen can be a "space for transformation," almost a political tool.
At the request of town councils, women's houses, and more recently, eco-shops, Cabezas offers practical courses for children, women, and families. These sessions use seasonal and local ingredients, focusing primarily on vegetarian cuisine. "You can create high-level cuisine with humble products," she emphasizes. The sessions last about two hours, and at the end, participants eat the prepared dishes together, which also serves as a form of celebration.
In recent years, she has also been present in the streets of Zumaia with tables for healthy breakfasts and snacks, promoting local products. Cabezas buys cereals, fruits, and yogurts from small local shops and the Elikagunea in Azpeitia, thereby strengthening the local microsystem. In addition to being a personal project, she collaborates with the Aiaraldea Action Factory, the Elikagunea in Azpeitia, and the Amillubi organic restaurant.
Her dream is to open her own restaurant, where cooking can be "an act of love." Maitane Cabezas holds a degree in Social Education, a master's in International Cooperation, a higher vocational training cycle in Kitchen Management, and has studied macrobiotics and energetic cooking. If she weren't a teacher, she would be a singer.

Related News