From Mexico to Turkey: Let’s Celebrate Terra Madre Day Together!

Started as a way to celebrate local food all across the world, this year sees the seventh edition of Terra Madre Day. On December 10, wherever you are, make your local food the star of the day. Take your pick of activities: group picnics, food festivals, film screenings, markets or just a dinner with friends. And make the pleasure of taste the focus!

On December 7, for example, in Zitácuaro, in the Mexican state of Michoacán, Terra Madre Day Infantil will reawaken the senses with an exploration of the local food and culture. In the past, the region was one of the cultural hubs of the Purepecla or Tarasca community, dating back to the 13th century, and so has a rich history. There will be activities for adults, but also lots to do for children, who can take part in specially designed workshops and other events.

Taste education is one of Slow Food’s key activities. It is vital that new generations learn where their food comes from, how it was produced and by whom, but most of all that they learn to appreciate the cultural and social value of food, so that they don’t waste it. In order to do this, in Turkey, Slow Food Bodrum will be celebrating Terra Madre Day for four whole days. From December 7 to 11, around 2,500 schoolchildren will be involved in educational meetings about food and the importance of local production, while at the markets in Bodrum and Milas, a few kilometers from Bodrum, it will be possible to sample typical dishes like Tarhana soup and peksimet, a twice-baked bread, both Ark of Taste products. Over in Spain, the Slow Food Maresme Convivium will dedicate Terra Madre Day to children’s food problems. The planned meeting, focusing on diet and childhood obesity, will be held in parallel with a media marathon dedicated to health and scientific research organized by the Catalan TV3.

In Russia, the Lobnya Chaika Convivium, near Moscow, is organizing a Festival of Taste for the Russian communities. On December 10, over 400 participants from the whole country are expected to attend, to share reflections on food and everyday food production activities, consumption, taste education and the traditions of individual communities. In Canada, meanwhile, a group of young people have decided to educate the population about food sharing and spread the good habit of not wasting food, suggesting that everyone organizes an eat-in, a unique opportunity to share food, customs and opinions in order to create together a new good, clean and fair food system, starting with consumers.

Get organized and celebrate with us on December 10! Find the closest event to you or create your own: Be inspired by past editions and download everything you need from the site. And don’t forget to publish your event on the Facebook page!