Chefs on Fire IV

All festivals created by Lohad work on a five-year sustainability strategy for continuous improvement to their events (developed by the consulting firm Because Impacts). The strategy also applies to the 2026 São Paulo edition and focuses on seven areas of action: Responsible food, Energy and emissions, Water and sanitation, Materials and circularity, Mobility and transportation, Community and Reforestation.

Direct

• Responsible food: Lohad’s strategy has the goal of prioritizing local producers and ensuring local supply, working with chefs to develop low-waste recipes, set up composting and recycling stations and partnering with social institutions for food donations after the festival. In this edition, a ticketing app will be used to manage production needs in real time, and a partnership is planned with São Paulo’s Food Bank to donate the food left overs.
• Energy and emissions: The promoter aims to consume 100% of the energy from renewable sources, and reduce the GHG in 90% until 2030, by transitioning to efficient equipment, green batteries and through carbon compensation for the festivals’ emissions.
• Water and sanitation: The goals are to reduce the water consumption in 50% until 2023 and increase water reuse during the festivals. Low-flow toilets will be installed, with showers and taps that reduce the amount of water used, and a wastewater recovering system will allow the festival to re-use this water for cleaning purposes.
• Materials and circularity: The festival intends to reduce single-use plastic to zero, raising the recycling rate to 100% and turning the festival 100% circular until 2030, by using biodegradable tableware, offering composting and recycling stations for minimal waste and form external partnerships to monitor the festivals’ performance regarding the materials used.
• Mobility and transportation: Reduce in 55% the GHG emissions associated with people transportation and equipment use until 2030 and promoting sustainable alternatives for transportation and stay during the festival. 
• Community: The promoter believes in a festival in synergy with the community and accessible for all. Free tickets will be given to the local community which will grant them access to the festival and its responsible cooking workshops.
• Promoting the creation of green jobs: This loan will enable the creation of 420 direct and indirect jobs, of which 8 will be on the company’s permanent structure.

Indirect

• Reforestation for impact neutrality: The festival, being based on fire cooking, uses wood. For this reason, they plant trees more than equivalent to the amount of wood consumed at each event and aim to guarantee reforestation every year in excess of the wood purchased and consumed at the festival. To date, over 700 trees have been planted by the Chefs on Fire team in cooperation with Cascais Municipal Council for the Portuguese editions and 300 trees were planted with the Complutense University for the Spanish edition.

LOHAD fue fundada en 2019 por Gonçalo Castel-Branco como un canal para la creatividad sostenible. La empresa, que actualmente cuenta con unos 15 empleados, tiene su sede en Lisboa.

El promotor crea eventos de entretenimiento sostenible y se posiciona como uno de los principales actores nacionales en la industria. Su objetivo es continuar reposicionando la gastronomía nacional como una herramienta cultural y social, e inspirar a las personas y empresas a comportarse de manera que beneficie tanto a su cuerpo como al planeta.

En todos sus proyectos gastronómicos, LOHAD intenta aplicar una estructura simple como base para una conversación más amplia sobre quiénes somos, las historias y hábitos que nos importan y mantenemos, todo ello a través de la comida increíble que es buena para quienes la consumen, para la comunidad y el planeta:

• Buena para la comunidad, porque eligen y promocionan a productores y relatos locales.
• Buena para quienes consumen, al intentar que los clientes se enamoren de la calidad, lo que eso representa, y educándolos sobre la importancia de sus elecciones.
• Buena para el planeta, porque presentan una dieta variada con un impacto ambiental y social mínimo.

Con el proyecto Presidential, LOHAD fue galardonada con el premio al mejor evento público del mundo (por los BEA Awards), y con el premio al evento innovador en los Premios Nacionales de Turismo (Expresso y BPI). Con Chefs on Fire, recibió el premio al mejor evento gastronómico en los Premios Nacionales de Turismo (Expresso y BPI); fue nombrado Evento del Año 2021 por Time Out y Evento del Año por Mesa Marcada. Gonçalo Castel-Branco, entre otros premios, fue reconocido como uno de los 10 mejores marketeers del país por el Clube dos Criativos y fue honrado por el Congreso de Cocineros por su "contribución al crecimiento y promoción de la gastronomía portuguesa".