Terra Madre Day: A Thousand Ways to Celebrate

Terra Madre Day events took place around the world on Slow Food’s 20th Anniversary.

More than 1000 events promoting ‘eating locally’ and sustainable food production were held to celebrate 20 years of the international Slow Food association on December 10 this year, with our first ever Terra Madre Day. Communities across 120 countries, including Slow Food convivia, Terra Madre food communities and other organizations, came together in collective meals, community festivals, protests, workshops for children, excursions to producers and much more, demonstrating the Slow Food philosophy of good, clean and fair food and the breadth, inclusivity and diversity of our network.

Thanks to all of you who organized/participated in Terra Madre Day. Starting from our own local regions, with simple and small initiatives as well as larger projects, we are making important steps towards a better food future and society, respectful of local cultures, biodiversity, the environment and the earth that supports us, while knowing we are part of a world network for change.

Terra Madre Day will now become an annual part of the Slow Food year, so mark it in your calendars and include it in your activity plan for 2010!

To find out what happened around the world, and how communities from Afghanistan to Venezuela choose to celebrate Terra Madre Day, visit the website to read the many stories and view the photographs which have been posted since December 10: www.slowfood.com/terramadreday

If you would like to share your story or photos of Terra Madre Day, please write to: tmday@slowfood.com


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Defending Biodiversity

Facts and figures from 2009

2009 was a busy year for Slow Food projects in defense of food biodiversity around the world. Here is a brief overview of the three principal projects coordinated by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, and developments over the past 12 months:

Ark of Taste: 47 new products (7 from Austria, 8 from Brazil, 16 from France, 1 from Portugal, 7 from Canada, 4 from Italy, 3 from Norway, 1 from Great Britain). As of July 2009, Didier Chabrol (Slow Food France) became the new International Ark Commission President.

Presidia: In 2009 15 new Presidia were created worldwide, bringing the total number to 314. The first Presidium in Kenya was established to defend a local poultry breed following a research project carried out by two Kenyan graduates of the University of Gastronomic Sciences to catalog traditional products. Meanwhile in Tajikistan, a Presidium has been established in the Pamir Mountains to protect more than 60 varieties of mulberry, a wild resource providing an important source of food for communities in this high mountain area. Considerable work was also done in northern Europe, with new Presidia started in Austria, Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland. In Italy, work has focused on promoting the existing Presidia (176) and a new project was launched to create an alliance between cooks and Italian Presidia that currently involves more than 200 restaurants.

Earth Markets: 4 new Earth Markets were launched in 2009: in Beirut (the third lebanese market), Tel Aviv, Bucarest and Milan. Slow Food Brazil organized an important training seminar on this project, with the intention of opening various markets in 2010. A new website earthmarkets.net was developed this year, and includes information on each market, inculding information about the individual producers.

To find out more about our projects to protect biodiversity and to view or download our new publications, visit the Foundation's website.

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Taste Education

Becoming Co-producers...

Through its educational activities, Slow Food endeavors to create a new connection between food, the land and people. Various initiatives are organized for members and the public, and for both adults and children: innovative Taste Education approaches based on the discovery of food through the senses – taste and pleasure of food – as well as a commitment to clean production, short food chains, protecting local cultures and traditions and giving recognition to small food producers. Using a wide range of methods - stories, simulation, cinema, tastings, school gardens - Slow Food education promotes a move from consumer to co-producer.

This approach is focused on helping people to better understand where food comes from, how and by whom it is produced. Many education projects develop through the creation of a “learning community” - bringing together different people with varied skills (e.g. parents, farmers, dieticians, teachers, city councilors and cooks) whose joint influence can bring about better, more aware and more responsible food choices.

While some countries have an extensive Slow Food network that has been focusing on education for years, other regions are in the very early stages, with just a few convivia that are slowly, but creatively integrating education into their activities. From Uganda to Canada to Italy, Slow Food is developing innovative educational activities all around the world. To read more about these activities, download the Slow Learning report here.

To bring Taste Education approach to more people, the Slow Food Education Office produced a new kit To the Origins of Taste in 2009. Available in eight languages, the sensory course is made up of three elements: an introductory video in which participants are familiarized with basic taste concepts; a series of interactive games to be set up at six sensory stations and a pre-recorded, guided tasting. The kit has had around 350 requests so far, mainly by convivium leaders, and it has been used across all continents at community events and in schools, and is getting very positive feedback.

Another international project launched this year is the Slow Food Dream Canteen, a European network of schools working towards better student meals and increased awareness of food issues. So far 18 schools from 16 countries are participating in the project, each working on various aspects of improving their canteen service: reviewing tenders, shortening the food chain to use fresher, seasonal local food, waste management, promoting conviviality and healthy food during meals, as well as integrating sensory education and food culture topics to their classrooms.

In 2010, Slow Food will reflect on the wealth of experiences generated by our education projects around the world and bring them together to produce a Slow Food Taste Education Manifesto. This manifesto will provide a clear, common platform for the future, and will be presented at Terra Madre in 2010.

Click here to support an education project.


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A Year of Campaigns and Events

Canteens

The need to improve food served in public canteens has been the focus of national campaigns in France and in the USA in 2009.

In France, a summer university was organized on the topic of hospital, school and company canteens, and a petition and manifesto was sent to all newly elected politicians to raise awareness on the poor quality food served in public catering and its impact on local economies.

In the USA, more than 300 Eat-Ins occurred across all 50 states this past September in the Slow Food USA's Time for Lunch campaign – a campaign to update the national Child Nutrition Act that sets policy for the food that more than 31 million children eat at school everyday. To date, Slow Food convivia have sent more than 1,900 letters to their legislators demanding change around the Child Nutrition Act and efforts will be scaling up at the beginning of 2010 to get even more letters sent. The campaign's goal is to invest in children's health by increasing funding for school lunch programs, protect kids from junk food sold at school and link schools to local farms to teach health eating.

Watch for updates on the Time for Lunch campaign site: www.slowfoodusa.org/timeforlunch.


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