Edwardie Mukiibi at Terra Madre: “We have to be at the center of the transformation we want in the food system”

Edward Mukiibi, Slow Food President, remarked that Terra Madre serves as a reminder of how the world should be, with people from diverse backgrounds coming together.

“Terra Madre is a reminder to Africa that we should be proud of our culture, food, and where we come from. We have to be at the center of the transformation we want in the food system.”

Edward Mukiibi underscored critical issues, including wars, hunger, land grabbing, and the fish industry being taken over by large corporations.

“We Africans have to stand up against this injustice. We must put aside cultural differences and unite as one voice to work together for our common dream of taking charge of our food sovereignty,” concluded Mukiibi, hoping for the realization of a Terra Madre Africa event in 2027.

Slow Food Gardens in Africa Expanding Continuously

The project Slow Food Gardens in Africa aims to enhance food sovereignty across the continent through agroecological principles. The project started in 2011 and has established more than 3,700 gardens in communities and schools across 34 African countries.

“Gardens play a crucial role in generating income for smaller communities,” says Manvester Ackson Khoza, Slow Food International Councilor..

Establishing the gardens involves a process that includes mapping land and water supplies, securing community commitment, providing training, and planting the garden, all while following agroecological principles. The gardens are monitored to gather data on quality, diversity, and learning opportunities. Currently, 170 different local varieties are being grown, and 89 percent of the gardens replicate and grow their own seeds.

Slow Food Academy Training Indigenous Leaders

The Slow Food Academy is a project designed to train Indigenous leaders, as presented by Tunda Lepore, an Indigenous Maasai woman. The academy aims to train Indigenous youth on people’s rights, landraces, agroecology, and the creation of gardens.

56 young participants from 20 different countries have completed the training. A crucial part of the academy was the training in project proposal writing.

“To be competitive in the outside world, we need to know how to write project proposals to secure funding, and we have identified that this element is lacking,” said Lepore.

Rachel, a participant in the Slow Food Academy, successfully applied for funding and started the Green Futures project, enabling individuals to grow their own food and participate in the food chain.

The project established six school gardens, trained educators to support students, and empowered the students’ mothers through training focused on growing their own food.

Make African Biodiversity Visible

To conclude the meeting, Jean Marie Koalga, Slow Food International Councilor for French-speaking Africa and Network Coordinator for West Africa, Central Africa, Madagascar, and Mauritius, encouraged the delegates to continue strengthening the Slow Food Network in Africa.

“We need to get organized so we can be interlinked, develop activities, multiply them, and make African biodiversity visible and valuable,” said Koalga. 

Work has been carried out to outline focal points for uniting the African network and identifying leaders in each country. The ultimate goal is Terra Madre in Africa in 2027, where all the diversity of Africa will be celebrated.