Terra Madre Day Announced

15 Jun 2009

Slow Food International Councilors – forty representatives of the Association, from twenty countries around the world – met this weekend, over June 13 -14, in the Tuscan town of Alberese, to discuss the key strategies for the future of Slow Food, with a particular focus on further development of the Terra Madre network and the increasingly important involvement and leadership from youth.

A key outcome of the meeting is the introduction of a worldwide Terra Madre Day, with the first edition to be held on December 10, 2009 – Slow Food International’s twentieth anniversary. This day will be celebrated by the Slow Food network, across the 150 countries in which it is active, to celebrate ‘eating local’ and the crucial work being done by the Terra Madre food communities – a network of farmers, artisan producers, cooks, academics and youth for sustainable food production launched by Slow Food in 2004.

‘Terra Madre Day is a way to celebrate our connection to the earth’, said Slow Food International President Carlo Petrini. ‘It doesn’t matter how we celebrate it – you can celebrate it at home, or organize a community or school event, the important thing is that we celebrate eating local.’

Petrini identified some of the key considerations at the base of the Slow Food philosophy to be celebrated and promoted through Terra Madre Day:

– Food is a right for everyone;
– Small-scale farming is the future;
– Food sovereignty is key to communities;
– Biodiversity is essential to a healthy food future;
– We have the right to preserve our cultural and local identities;
– Agriculture is closely linked to the environment;
– Food production and trade must be socially just.

Many thanks to the Region of Tuscany, to the Grosseto Municipality and the Albarese Citizens Association as well as the farms who hosted the councilors over the weekend, and the food communities who provided meals. The meeting was made possible thanks to the work of many volunteers from Slow Food Tuscany, once again showing this region’s keen support and promotion of the themes of Terra Madre and the international development of our Association.

For more information on the Terra Madre network, visit www.terramadre.org

Bess Mucke
[email protected]

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