Chef Fatmata Binta is an award-winning chef, founder of the Fulani Kitchen Foundation, and FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa. Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to a Fulani family of Guinean descent, she draws from her nomadic heritage to craft a culinary philosophy rooted in sustainability, storytelling, and cultural preservation. Raised in the Fulani tradition, Chef Binta transforms food into a tool for empowerment, resilience, and global connection, redefining how the world experiences African cuisine.

Her signature initiative, Dine on a Mat, is a nomadic pop-up dining experience that immerses guests in Fulani culture through communal seating, storytelling, and ancestral ingredients such as fonio, baobab, and African locust bean.

Hosted across three continents, Dine on a Mat has become a global celebration of Fulani traditions and values, honoring simplicity, community, and connection through food.

In 2022, Chef Binta made history as the first African chef to win the Basque Culinary World Prize, recognized for using food as a powerful medium for social innovation. Through her foundation, she now supports over 300 families, empowering women with education, skills training, and income-generating enterprises.

As a FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa, Chef Binta champions sustainable agriculture, food security, and clean cooking while promoting the global appreciation of African ingredients.

Her advocacy bridges gastronomy, sustainability, and women’s empowerment, amplifying indigenous African knowledge systems as pathways to a more inclusive and resilient food future.

By blending heritage with innovation, Chef Binta is redefining how the world experiences African cuisine, not just as nourishment, but as a philosophy of care, connection, and community.

More than a meal, Dine on a Mat is a storytelling experience deeply rooted in Chef Binta’s Fulani heritage. Guests are invited to sit on traditional mats, eat with their hands, and share thoughtfully prepared, plant-forward dishes inspired by the nomadic Fulani way of life.

Each dish tells a story of migration, identity, and resilience, inviting guests on a sensory journey that encourages slowing down and reconnecting with one another through food.

Beyond the mat, Dine on a Mat directly supports the Fulani Kitchen Foundation, which empowers rural women and girls through farming, food education, and enterprise.

The Power of Fonio: A Grain for the Future

At the heart of Chef Binta’s work is Fonio, an ancient West African grain celebrated for its nutrition, versatility, and climate resilience.

Through the Fulani Kitchen Foundation, launched in 2020, she partners with women farmers in Northern Ghana to enhance fonio production, improve processing, and expand market access. By preserving indigenous food systems and creating sustainable livelihoods, Chef Binta champions fonio as both a cultural treasure and a solution for Africa’s food security challenges. Chef Fatmata Binta stands at the crossroads of tradition and transformation. Through her culinary artistry and global advocacy, she continues to redefine African gastronomy, one mat, one meal, and one story at a time.