Terra Madre Europe – Press Kit

1. Terra Madre Europe – The first edition of Slow Food’s landmark event highlights the power of food to build connections

Brussels, June 22 – 24

Slow Food, the global movement working collectively to ensure good, clean, and fair food for all, presents the very first edition of Terra Madre Europe, taking place from June 22 to 24 in Brussels.

Slow Food fosters a global network of local communities and activists who defend cultural and biological diversity, promote food education, preserve traditional knowledge and skills, and advocate for better food policies in both public and private sectors.

This inaugural edition of Terra Madre Europe marks the beginning of what Slow Food envisions as a recurring and strategic gathering in Brussels. By amplifying diverse voices from across the EU and showcasing agroecological solutions related to food production and consumption, the event aims to inform both decision-makers and the wider public about concrete responses to today’s multiple crises.

Held under the theme “Food for Change,” this milestone event will bring together a dynamic mix of European farmers, food artisans, cooks from all EU countries, policymakers, and activists for three days of vibrant discussions, interactive workshops, and communal meals. At a time of rising political polarization, Terra Madre Europe offers a vital space for constructive dialogue, emphasizing the unifying and transformative power of food to shape a more resilient and sustainable future. Here you find the detailed program.

“Terra Madre Europe perfectly reflects the essence of Slow Food—from biodiversity and education to advocacy,” says Marta Messa, Secretary General of Slow Food. “The key actors of this event will be European farmers and food artisans who, every day, provide us with good, clean, and fair food, alongside policymakers who influence the future of food systems in Europe. Cooks will also take center stage for their crucial role in educating and inspiring people to make thoughtful food choices. At Slow Food, we are convinced that agroecological transition is the only viable path to creating a truly sustainable food systems —one that respects people, the planet, and future generations.”

Agroecology lies at the heart of Slow Food’s global strategy. Through its Slow Food Farms initiative, the movement is building the world’s largest network of farms committed to agroecological practices and sustainable food production. Currently, more than 117 farms in 34 countries have joined the initiative, with new participants joining regularly. As part of Terra Madre Europe, the first Slow Food Farms in Belgium will also be officially launched.

​​The event is co-funded by the European Union through the LIFE Programme.

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2. Slow Food Launches Belgium’s First Slow Food Earth Market in Brussels

Celebrating Food Biodiversity with Local Producers, Hands-On Workshops, and a Unique Community Dinner

On June 22, Slow Food will officially launch the first Belgian Slow Food Earth Market in Brussels, coinciding with the opening day of Terra Madre Europe—the flagship event bringing together European farmers, food producers, chefs, policymakers, and activists for the first time in the heart of Europe. The three-day event will be filled with vibrant discussions, interactive experiences, and meaningful exchanges around the future of food.

Part of the international network of Slow Food Earth Markets, the Brussels Slow Food Earth Market will feature around 20 small-scale farmers and food artisans who sell only what they produce themselves. These products are local, fresh, seasonal, and transparently sourced, in line with Slow Food’s principles of good, clean, and fair food.

“Launching Belgium’s first Slow Food Earth Market on the opening day of Terra Madre Europe is a significant milestone for both the local Slow Food network and our broader work,” says Marta Messa, Secretary General of Slow Food. “The Slow Food Earth Market will shine a spotlight on Belgian food biodiversity and offer local consumers a rare opportunity to meet the producers behind their food and hear their stories. Producers and chefs — especially those from the Slow Food Cooks’ Alliance — will play a central role, starting at the market and continuing throughout the dinners and events of Terra Madre Europe. For us at Slow Food, markets are not just places for buying and selling, but also spaces for genuine exchange — places to meet, learn, and influence local political choices.”

The Slow Food Cooks’ Alliance is a vibrant community of chefs and small-scale producers committed to defending biodiversity, preserving culinary heritage, and promoting sustainable food practices. More than just a network, it’s a movement advocating for a better food future.

The inauguration day will offer visitors a full program of activities in addition to the Earth Market itself. In the morning at 11 am, the official opening of Terra Madre Europe will introduce the event’s program and key policy messages from Slow Food leaders. Visitors can also take part in interactive workshops, including:

• at 3 pm: A hands-on session on fermentation and vegetable preservation hosted by Fermenthings, a lab of innovation and collaboration on the world of fermentation. At the same time there will be an education workshop.
• at 4.30 pm: A talk on the cultural history of tomatoes organized by Eatmosphere, a Brussels-based food hub

The day will conclude around 7 pm with a special dinner prepared by Belgian chefs from the Slow Food Cooks’ Alliance with the participation of the Earth Market’s producers, featuring ingredients sourced directly from the Earth Market—a true celebration of local food and the producers behind it.

Click here to book the workshops and the dinner

When: June 22 from 11am to 4 pm

Where: Be-here, Rue Dieudonné  Lefèvre, 4 1020 Bruxelles https://be-here.be/village-durable/

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3. Terra Madre Europe – The program

Slow Food is proud to launch the very first edition of Terra Madre Europe, taking place from June 22 to 24 in Brussels. This landmark event will bring together a dynamic mix of European farmers, food artisans, chefs, policymakers, and activists for three days of lively discussions, interactive workshops, and communal meals. In a time of increasing political polarization, Terra Madre Europe seeks to create a much-needed space for constructive dialogue, showcasing the power of food to bring people together and shape a more resilient, sustainable future.

Sunday, June 22 – Launch of the Slow Food Earth Market

The event kicks off at 11 am with the official opening of Terra Madre Europe and the inauguration of a new Slow Food Earth Market at Be-Here (Rue Dieudonné Lefèvre 4, 1020 Brussels). Around 20 local and Belgian producers will offer a rich variety of artisanal and seasonal products grown in the respect of people, animals and the Planet.

In the afternoon, a series of engaging activities will offer something for all ages. At 3 pm, children will be invited to take part in an educational workshop, while adults can join a hands-on session dedicated to the art and science of fermentation. At 4.30 pm, visitors are welcome to attend a talk on the cultural history of tomatoes, tracing the journey of this iconic product through time and cuisine.

Around 7 pm Belgian chefs from the Slow Food Cooks’ Alliance will prepare a special dinner using ingredients sourced directly from the stalls. Producers will also be invited to the table, reinforcing the strong connection between those who grow our food and those who prepare it. Additionally, Slow Food and Belgian partners working on agroecology will gather to discuss future strategies and collaborations.

Monday, June 23 – Strategy-Building Workshops

The second day will be dedicated to internal work within the Slow Food network, focusing on training, capacity building, and strategy development. Producers, chefs, and experts will come together to identify shared priorities and strengthen alliances to influence the future of European food systems. The meeting will be hosted at Foster Farm Rosières (Chemin des Deux Fermes, 1331 Rosières), the first Slow Food Farm in Belgium. Slow Food Farms are set to become the largest global network of farms dedicated to producing good, clean and fair food in a way that’s rooted in agroecological principles. In a dedicated meeting, members of the Cooks‘ Alliance will discuss issues related to sourcing from local producers and the solutions offered by agroecological transition, with a specific focus on the Slow Food Farms program. During the evening, cooks, farmers and food producers will have the possibility of discussing common challenges and sinergies.

Tuesday, June 24 – European Slow Food tasting event and Slow Food Dinners

The final day will highlight agroecology and the European Cooks’ Alliance. A high level conference and a European Slow Food tasting event (upon invitation) at Talk CEC (Chaussée de Wavre 143) will showcase success stories from across Europe, with a focus on sustainable food systems and agroecological practices. Attendees will have a unique opportunity to take part in a tasting event with an innovative format. This event will bring together farmers and food artisans from across the EU, offering a chance to engage in meaningful policy dialogue on key topics such as generational renewal, simplification, animal welfare, agro-biodiversity, water resilience, and soil health. At the heart of it all is a simple yet powerful act: tasting distinctive products rooted in Europe’s cultural heritage and agroecological traditions.

The day will conclude with a celebration of the Slow Food Cooks’ Alliance, a global network of chefs dedicated to preserving food biodiversity, safeguarding local areas, serving good food, reducing waste, fighting the climate crisis and practicing social solidarity.

Belgian and European Slow Food chefs will collaborate on four-hands dinners in restaurants across Brussels, offering guests a unique opportunity to experience good, clean, and fair food—and to understand the value of local knowledge, agroecology, and food heritage with every bite.

The event is co-founded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of Slow Food only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them

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4. Slow Food EU Policy Topics

At Slow Food, we push for a bold, systemic change of our food systems that puts farmers, citizens and the planet at the center of EU decision-making. Our key priorities include:

• Embedding a “food systems approach” in EU policymaking, in a way that promotes agroecology and food sovereignty.

For too long, EU food policies have been developed in silos, overly focused on production while ignoring the precarity of our food environments. This fragmented approach has led to policy incoherence and missed opportunities for meaningful transformation.

Slow Food advocates for a comprehensive and integrated EU food policy that brings together all sectors and actors of the food system — from production to consumption — under a coherent framework that charts a clear path toward equity and resilience. What’s more, civil society must be involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of the rules that determine the functioning of EU food systems.

• Supporting food production that promotes fairness for farmers and farm workers and promotes agroecology

Europe’s food and cultural biodiversity is both a key tool to tackle the climate crisis and a vital socio-economic asset. Yet the erosion of agrobiodiversity has weakened ecosystem resilience, threatening food production and rural livelihoods, in Europe and beyond. For more than 20 years now, Slow Food has worked on the biodiversity that underpins agriculture and food production: plant species and varieties, animal breeds, beneficial insects, microorganisms, ecosystems, knowledge and cultures.

Slow Food urges the integration of biodiversity protection and climate action into a coherent vision for food systems. A vision in which public money is spent on farmers who produce quality food while preserving land, soil, water and seeds, with positive organic or agroecological farming but also, engaged in high animal welfare farming, social cohesion and labor standards. At the same time, strict regulations on new genomic techniques and the prohibition of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) must be upheld to safeguard biodiversity.

• Transforming supply chains to be transparent and sustainable for all actors involved

The EU’s trade policy must support fair and sustainable food systems—at home and abroad. Today’s focus on maximizing imports and exports drives environmental degradation, human rights violations, animal suffering as well as local market disruption.

As a first step toward trade justice, Slow Food calls on the EU to end double standards. Mirror measures – ensuring imports meet EU-level standards – should be embedded in EU legislation to reflect its commitments to sustainability, human rights, and economic wellbeing in both domestic and international supply chains.

But fairer trade is only part of the solution. In order to build more sustainable and diverse food systems, we must prioritize short supply chains and support small businesses over large corporations. By reducing intermediaries like wholesalers and distributors, producers can reclaim their role in the food system and operate in more flexible, locally rooted networks.

• Building food environments that make nutritious, culturally appropriate food accessible and affordable for everyone.

Food systems must deliver food justice—ensuring everyone has access to healthy, sustainable, and culturally meaningful food. But today’s diets are a key driver of disease and environmental degradation and are shaped by systems that perpetuate inequality and disconnection from food cultures. To truly support health and wellbeing, EU policies must improve access to diverse, plant-rich, seasonal diets while promoting sustainable production practices that respect the planet and animal welfare.

Culture also plays a vital role in shaping food choices and should be better protected from the standardizing effects of global supply chains. Public procurement, especially in schools and hospitals, can be a powerful tool to improve diets and foster long-term change, especially when paired with food education. Slow Food calls for action to reshape food environments through better labeling and advertising rules, stronger local supply chains, and policies that make good food affordable for all.

Slow Food Press Office

Alessia Pautasso – [email protected] (+39) 342 8641029

Paola Nano – [email protected] (+39) 329 8321285

 Slow Food  is a global movement that unites local groups and activists around a

shared vision: ensuring that everyone has access to food that is good for them, good

for the people who grow it, and good for the planet. Founded in Italy in 1986 as a

response to the growing industrialization of food and the rise of fast food culture,

Slow Food has since expanded its reach to more than millions of supporters in 160

countries worldwide.