Ciao Slow Foodies, from Italy!
I hope you are all well and happy at home in the Tetons! This is a brief hello to let you know about what has blossomed from this year’s Slow Food Terra Madre event and the World Congress. I departed the Tetons on October 21st en route to Italy, the motherland of the Slow Food movement.
Slow Food came to being in a small town in northwestern Italy, called Bra, which is about 60 minutes southeast of the city of Torino. It is in Torino that the two biggest Slow Food events, called Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto, take place every two years. For the first time Terra Madre occurred simultaneously with the 6th Slow Food World Congress, that only takes place every four years. These events were my destination.
The slogan of Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre 2012 was “Foods that Change the World”. Carlo Petrini, the president and one of the founders of Slow Food, describes it best: “The event conveys an idea of how, through food, we can put forward real alternatives to a development model that is no longer suitable for us or for the earth.” This event showcases over 150 countries, bringing together thousands of people to exchange and celebrate the diversity of food culture. Over 200,000 visitors attended this year for the opportunity to experience the food and culture of the Balkans, Japan, Palestine, Iceland, Brazil, India, and Morocco, just to name a few countries. It is five days of sensory overload at it’s best. You can taste, touch, smell, and hear the diversity of food-culture. It was within this setting that the Slow Food World Congress was held.
The World Congress was held for three days. The purpose of the Congress, as written in the Slow Food policy document, The Central Role of Food, is “to discuss the political and cultural issues that underlie the daily work of the 1,500 convivia (local chapters) and more than 2,500 food communities that operate in 130 countries round the world.” Because it is the “ideas, values, and local organizations…” that are “Slow Food’s most precious asset- its foundation.” I want to ask you, what other organization, or struggle, can bring together such a diversity of cultures under one roof? We had hundreds of representatives, including people from Palestine and Isreal, China, North Korea, and Japan, and India and Pakistan. Food is a global issue and an inherent right for all.
In addition to hearing the struggles and successes of the local movements, we voted on the organization’s international governance. One interesting change in position was that of the Vice President, which is now held by Alice Waters, renowned activist, author, and founder of The Edible School Yard and the famous restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkley. I cannot tell you what a joy it has been to experience the global reach of the Slow Food Network, and I want to encourage you to be involved.
If you are passionate about food and want to have a better understanding of the Slow Food movement and the global reach of the organization, then I urge you to read the new Congress Paper: “The Central Role of Food”. Please go to: www.slowfood.com/international/138/sixth-slow-food-international-congress to access the document. It is our time to give back to Mother Earth and indigenous cultures that have too long suffered due to greed. It is time to build-up our food-community in the Tetons, and develop a regional network of agrarians and food-producers. We should support the production of community and schoolyard gardens, and bring food curriculum back into our schools so that children have the opportunity to understand our connection to the earth and to the food and water that sustain us.
Terra Madre Day is Dec 10th. Please be a part of the Slow Revolution, towards a deeper appreciation of food, family, and traditional knowledge. On this day, as on every day, give thanks to Terra Madre, to Mother Earth. As Carlo Petrini says, “A necessary part of the equation is the Earth itself, which, since it nourishes us and lets us grow, we have to love and respect as best we can.” The Slow Food movement must become part of our landscape, a movement for generations.
I want to leave you with a question: “What does Terra Madre (Mother Earth) mean to you?
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration!
Audrey Smith
I hope you are all well and happy at home in the Tetons! This is a brief hello to let you know about what has blossomed from this year’s Slow Food Terra Madre event and the World Congress. I departed the Tetons on October 21st en route to Italy, the motherland of the Slow Food movement.
Slow Food came to being in a small town in northwestern Italy, called Bra, which is about 60 minutes southeast of the city of Torino. It is in Torino that the two biggest Slow Food events, called Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto, take place every two years. For the first time Terra Madre occurred simultaneously with the 6th Slow Food World Congress, that only takes place every four years. These events were my destination.
The slogan of Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre 2012 was “Foods that Change the World”. Carlo Petrini, the president and one of the founders of Slow Food, describes it best: “The event conveys an idea of how, through food, we can put forward real alternatives to a development model that is no longer suitable for us or for the earth.” This event showcases over 150 countries, bringing together thousands of people to exchange and celebrate the diversity of food culture. Over 200,000 visitors attended this year for the opportunity to experience the food and culture of the Balkans, Japan, Palestine, Iceland, Brazil, India, and Morocco, just to name a few countries. It is five days of sensory overload at it’s best. You can taste, touch, smell, and hear the diversity of food-culture. It was within this setting that the Slow Food World Congress was held.
The World Congress was held for three days. The purpose of the Congress, as written in the Slow Food policy document, The Central Role of Food, is “to discuss the political and cultural issues that underlie the daily work of the 1,500 convivia (local chapters) and more than 2,500 food communities that operate in 130 countries round the world.” Because it is the “ideas, values, and local organizations…” that are “Slow Food’s most precious asset- its foundation.” I want to ask you, what other organization, or struggle, can bring together such a diversity of cultures under one roof? We had hundreds of representatives, including people from Palestine and Isreal, China, North Korea, and Japan, and India and Pakistan. Food is a global issue and an inherent right for all.
In addition to hearing the struggles and successes of the local movements, we voted on the organization’s international governance. One interesting change in position was that of the Vice President, which is now held by Alice Waters, renowned activist, author, and founder of The Edible School Yard and the famous restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkley. I cannot tell you what a joy it has been to experience the global reach of the Slow Food Network, and I want to encourage you to be involved.
If you are passionate about food and want to have a better understanding of the Slow Food movement and the global reach of the organization, then I urge you to read the new Congress Paper: “The Central Role of Food”. Please go to: www.slowfood.com/international/138/sixth-slow-food-international-congress to access the document. It is our time to give back to Mother Earth and indigenous cultures that have too long suffered due to greed. It is time to build-up our food-community in the Tetons, and develop a regional network of agrarians and food-producers. We should support the production of community and schoolyard gardens, and bring food curriculum back into our schools so that children have the opportunity to understand our connection to the earth and to the food and water that sustain us.
Terra Madre Day is Dec 10th. Please be a part of the Slow Revolution, towards a deeper appreciation of food, family, and traditional knowledge. On this day, as on every day, give thanks to Terra Madre, to Mother Earth. As Carlo Petrini says, “A necessary part of the equation is the Earth itself, which, since it nourishes us and lets us grow, we have to love and respect as best we can.” The Slow Food movement must become part of our landscape, a movement for generations.
I want to leave you with a question: “What does Terra Madre (Mother Earth) mean to you?
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration!
Audrey Smith
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