Food-based place branding as holistic place ecosystems: the case of Basque Gastronomic Ecosystem

Food and gastronomy are important features of the identity of cities, regions and countries, contributing therefore significantly to their branding. This contribution is possible through the multiactor value co-creation in the place. The aim of the article is to analyse the links between processes of co-creation of agricultural and gastronomic value through the integration of systems of production and gastronomy. Evidence is provided that food and agriculture are moving towards a holistic service logic integrating sector subsystems into broader inter-industrial ecosystems. The paradigm of Service-Dominant Logic offers a framework for analysing interactions between multiactor engagement processes, and food/gastronomy service linked to places and their cultural milieux. These complex processes of co-creation are mapped, then applied to the case of agriculture and gastronomy in the Basque Country in Spain. The Basque gastronomic co-creation brings together the rural context of smallholders, fishermen, or farmers, service providers, and the urban context of cities, with their circles of social interaction and events, where service users are largely concentrated. Crucial role in the system—as institutional innovators—is played by the Basque chefs who integrate the different aspects of food production and consumption.