Biodiversity Talks

Slow Food Germany is participating in several international biodiversity conferences in Bonn this month to draw attention to the important issues concerning the significant impact loss of species diversity has on the world’s food supply.

Coinciding with International Biodiversity Day on May 22, COP9, the ninth UN Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity, is being held May 19 – 30 in Bonn, Germany. Otto Geisel, president of Slow Food Germany, will highlight the importance of biodiversity for a healthy and secure nutrition during this conference.

On May 20 the local Slow Food association will offer COP9 delegates a special lunch, featuring dishes made with meat from some of the nation’s lesser known livestock breeds and vegetable crops. For the symbolic price of one euro, diners will be served a meal prepared with Ark of Taste products – foods that are in danger of becoming extinct in the region. Well-known restaurant chefs will work together with chefs from hospitals in the Baden-Württemberg region to prepare dishes from Alb lentils, spelt spaetzle and sausages made from Hohenloher beef.

The city of Bonn and the area round the conference centre will house the Plaza of Diversity during the conference, a platform for a wide range of biodiversity-related events and activities. Slow Food Germany will participate in the Expo of Diversity over May 27-30, providing information about the association’s biodiversity projects and introducing the recently listed Ark of Taste Bonner Advent , -a Savoy cabbage from the Rhineland region.

Taking place now, Planet Diversity – World Congress on the Future of Food and Agriculture is being held over May 12-16 also in Bonn. The Bergisches Land, Cologne and Bonn convivia held a stand during the Public Festival of Diversity on Monday evening by the River Rhine and Vandana Shiva, vice-president of Slow Food International, delivered the opening address of the congress on Tuesday morning.

Further Information:

COP9

Planet Diversity

Plaza of Diversity

Bess Mucke
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