The New Woodstock

The program of the Youth Food Movement (YFM) network at this year’s Terra Madre allowed young chefs, farmers, students and activists from around the world to come together and discuss the issues they feel are most relevant to the next generation of sustainable food producers.

The YFM hosted a dedicated meeting and youth space which offered a program of conferences as well as informal meetings. The workshop “Identity: the globalisation of diversity” touched on the importance of encouraging young people to have pride in their regional cultures and to resist buying into the homogenized global identity of mass market youth. Eddie Mukumbi from Slow Food in Kenya talked about the issue of identity for young Africans, and representatives of The Waterpod Project in New York showed that urban food projects can help to create a strong sense of identity even in big cities.

“Eat-In: Our Territory” saw around 300 people sit down to exchanged produce, knowledge and stories over a communal lunch prepared from food donated from the kitchens of Piedmontese master artisans. Follow this, fifty young chef were given the opportunity to visit the workplaces of these artisans and witness a range of Italian traditional food productions.

The YFM Earth Workshop was an opportunity for different national groups to present the last two years of activities and work in local communities and to brainstorm for future developments and greater outreach. During this session Slow Food President Carlo Petrini declared that the youth had made Terra Madre “the new Woodstock,” and as he left the meeting, the chant “food for change” filled the auditorium and has been carried home by the 1,000 young delegates.

To keep posted on our activities, check the website and search for national groups on Facebook: www.youthfoodmovement.org

Youth Food Movement Communications Team