Alice Waters

Alice Waters is a chef, author, food activist, and the founder and owner of Chez Panisse Restaurant in Berkeley, California. Waters has advocated for local, sustainable agriculture for more than four decades. She founded the Edible Schoolyard Project, which promotes free organic school lunches for all children and a sustainable food curriculum in public schools. Waters has served as vice president of Slow Food International and played a key role in establishing the Yale Sustainable Food Project and the Rome Sustainable Food Project at the American Academy in Rome.

Her honors include election as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Harvard Medical School’s Global Environmental Citizen Award, induction into the French Legion of Honor, and induction into the National Woman’s Hall of Fame. Waters received the National Humanities Medal, recognizing her work in connecting food, social justice, and positive change. She has also been honored as Cavaliere dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana.

Waters is the author of 15 books, including New York Times bestsellers "The Art of Simple Food I & II," "The Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea," and the memoir "Coming to My Senses: The Making of a Counterculture Cook." Waters continues to advocate for regenerative agriculture, edible education, and food justice, delivering keynote addresses at major food and sustainability conferences. Her ongoing public speaking and thought leadership contribute to the global conversation on sustainable food systems, climate-conscious eating, and culinary activism.