Opening ceremony: let’s start

Opening ceremony

 Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto

Palaolimpico, Corso Sebastopoli 123 – Torino

Address by Josè Graziano da Silva, Director General of FAO

Speakers:
Michele Coppola, Regional Minister for Culture 
Piero Fassino, Mayor of the City of Turin

Other contributors to the Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre opening ceremony:

Dario Fo, dramatist, Nobel Prize for Literature, Italy
Sergej Ivanov, food community of farmers, Stara Planina, Serbia
Nikki Henderson, Executive Director, People’s Grocery, USA
Carmen Martinez, Slow Food Amaranth Presidium, Tehuacán, Mexico
Edward Mukiibi, Slow Food Mukono, coordinator in Uganda for the Thousand Gardens in Africa project
Vandana Shiva, presidente of the Navdanya movement and Vice President of Slow Food, India
Yoko Sudo, Slow Food Fukushima, Japan
Carlos Vanegas Valdebenito, delegate from Chiloé, Chile
Alice Waters, chef and Vice President of Slow Food, Usa

Closing address by Carlo Petrini, President of Slow Food

Musical interludes by Roy Paci, who conducts the Ensemble Terra Madre in a world premiere

Josè Graziano da Silva, Brazil. Agronomist and writer, Director General of FAO since 2011. Has worked for many years on projects to guarantee the right to food for everyone. Served as Extraordinary Minister for Food Security in the Lula government, being responsible for implementing the Fome Zero program, which in eight years brought 28 million people above the national poverty line, and reduced malnutrition in Brazil by 25%.

Dario Fo, Italy. Dramatist, theatre director, actor, is famous for his satirical works and political and social engagement. In 1997 he won the Nobel Prize for Literature for his dramatic work inspired by the ancient Italian commedia dell’arte style which has been presented around the world. In 2007 the British newspaper Daily Telegraph placed him seventh in its list of 100 living geniuses.

Sergej Ivanov, Serbia. After obtaining a degree in veterinary medicine from Belgrade University and completing an environmental specialization course at the Alternative Academic Educational Network he founded Natura Balkanika, one of the pioneers in agrobiodiversity protection in Central Serbia. He was also involved in launching a project for the protection of the Stara Planina mountains and founded the Serbian Association of Rare Breeds Breeders, to save the Karakachan sheep, a Slow Food Presidium, which had been considered extinct since 1940
 

Nikki Henderson, USA. Began her work in social services, working in the foster care system and developed a passion for youth education. She later shifted into sustainability, ecology, politics and environmental justice. She is currently Executive Director of People’s Grocery, an organization working to improve the health and economy of West Oakland through the local food system.

Carmen Martinez, Mexico. Representative of the Slow Food Amaranth Presidium, Tehuacán, State of Puebla, which protects the artisan cultivation and processing of this plant, a fundamental part of the diet of many indigenous people in Latin America. Is also a member of the Alternativas association, which coordinates the Presidium and numerous water management projects for the semi-arid Mixtec areas and has opened the first Museum of Water in Mexico.

Edward Mukiibi, Uganda. Leader of Slow Food Mukono convivium and coordinator for Uganda of the Thousand Gardens in Africa project, which combines education and food production in villages and city outskirts. Founder and director of the DISC project, started in 2006 to introduce children to agriculture and change the way they regarded working the land, still used as a punishment in Ugandan schools.

Vandana Shiva, India. After academic studies in physics, was engaged in numerous activities: is an ecofeminist, philosopher, activist and author of many books. In 1982 created the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, to study the major ecological and social issues of our time, using independent high-level systems of research in close collaboration with local communities and social movements. She was also involved in creating the Navdanya movement, which seeks to protect biodiversity and farmers’ rights.

Yoko Sudo, Japan. Born in a farming family and survivor of the Fukushima tragedy, Yoko Sudo exemplifies the resilience of an agricultural way of life which refuses to be beaten by extreme conditions. “We shall keep fighting” said Yoko at the plenary session of the Terra Madre Japan held last December in Unzen, “for good, clean and fair food and a new vision of agriculture, even though this will mean huge sacrifices and enormous effort for all of us from the devastated area”.

Carlos Vanegas Valdebenito, Chile. Regional Director of the Centre for Education and Technology, CET Chiloé, Chile. Leader of the Chiloé delegation participating in Expo Movil, part of the project Los caminos de la excelencia: un viaje por los territorios, conociendo sus productos y sus protagonistas, a partnership between Slow Food and the DTR-IC program at RIMISP, the Latin American Center for Rural Development, with the contribution of the Ford Foundation. Through the work of local farming and fishing communities represented by the delegation, on October 9 the island was awarded the status of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System by the FAO for its efforts to maintain and protect the unique biodiversity of Chiloé.

Alice Waters, Usa. Chef, restaurateur, author and activist, is the owner of Chez Panisse, a restaurant in Berkeley, California, also founder of the Chez Panisse foundation and creator of the Edible Schoolyard project, to introduce children to healthy food from an early age. Has been a proponent of organic food for over 40 years. Promoter of school gardens, in 2009 inspired Michelle Obama to create an organic vegetable garden at the White House in Washington.

Carlo Petrini, Italy. Sociologist, gastronome, journalist and writer, in 1989 founded the International Slow Food movement in Paris, and is now President. Has focused efforts on protecting biodiversity and agri-food sustainability. Conceived and planned the University of Gastronomic Sciences and events such as Cheese, Salone del Gusto, Terra Madre and Slow Fish. In 2004 Time Magazine named him a European Hero and in 2008 he was the only Italian to appear on the list of “50 people who could save the world”, drawn up by the British newspaper The Guardian.

Piero Fassino, Italy. Mayor of the City of Turin since 2011, has been a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Under Secretary and twice a minister of the Italian Republic. During his administration, the Turin local authority has  supported important Slow Food initiatives, particularly the 4cities4dev project, co-financed by the European Union. This project arose through collaboration between four European cities: Turin (the project leader), Tours, Bilbao and Riga. From 2007 to 2011 it was delegated by the EU for a special role in Myanmar.

Roy Paci, Italy. Author, composer, trumpet player and Italian record producer; this versatile Sicilian musician was already involved in music at 10 years of age.  Influenced and educated from years of travelling in places such as the Canary Islands, Senegal and South America, has been involved in a large number of collaborative ventures, tours and musical, film and television projects. His musical activity has supported Slow Food projects. He will conduct the Ensemble Terra Madre at the opening ceremony in a world premiere.