Youth Food Movement at Terra Madre

The Youth Food Movement has announced it will host a dedicated youth area and meeting space at the 2010 Terra Madre world meeting of food communities. The space will aim to communicate the diverse range of ways that young people can become involved with Slow Food, and to draw attention to the issues partipiants feel are most relevant to the next generation of sustainable food producers.

Delegates can get involved with a range of activities and practical workshops, in addition to a conference each morning.

The UK delegation to Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto will this year be comprised of youth activists, chefs, food communities, writers, academics and other young activists. It will also receive students from the soon-to-launch UK Slow Food on Campus groups.

As part of Slow Food UK’s increasing focus on youth programmes, Slow Food on Campus is a new student-led, activist initiative. It assists young people in embracing the Slow Food ethic and promoting better food systems in their universities and higher education establishments. Campaigns and events are at the core of activity, such as film screenings, public picnics or by having a regular presence at local farmer’s markets. On-going projects such as campus gardens means that the group can interact with and benefit from the support of the local community.

21 year old Human Geography student Jo Dixon, who is helping to start a Slow Food on Campus group at Durham University, will be part of this year’s UK delegation. “I hope to gain a wider knowledge of how the food system works both globally and locally, in particular looking at how they interact with each other. Terra Madre this year is particularly relevant to what I hope to learn because of its focus on indigenous cultures and languages through which food knowledge is passed on.”

It will be Jo’s first visit to Turin and she is keen to see for herself the global spirit of Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto, which captivates its delegates every other year. “I think the future of food is positive. At the moment there are many problems with locally sourced and produced foods not getting the recognition they deserve, mainly because of the way our society views food – we want a lot of it and cheaply.

“I hope that Terra Madre will speak to the idea of a more positive food system by showcasing the range of options available across the world demonstrating how to deal efficiently and fairly with food production.”

This year will also see the first ever Terra Madre Eat-In, “Eat-In Our Territory” on Saturday, October 23. Youth delegates and other activists from around Turin will come to the table to exchange knowledge, experiences, and lunch! The event will include young chefs cooking at ‘gastronomias’ around Turin, project displays, speakers, and extra-special treats to be announced.

The Youth Food Movement is a network of young farmers, cooks, artisans, activists and students that are actively changing the future of food and farming. With the goal of bringing more food that is good, clean and fair to their communities, they are realigning local and regional food systems with the principles of social justice and sustainability.

For more information:

Salone del Gusto
www.salonedelgusto.it

Terra Madre
www.terramadre.info

For more information and photos on the international Youth Food Movement:
Valerio Reale
[email protected]

For more information on Slow Food UK youth programmes, such as Slow Food on Campust:
Jen Marsden
[email protected]