The International Salone del Gusto 2010 has been officially introduced with the presentation of the program in Turin, Italy today. The international market fair, showcasing high quality food products accompanied by a rich and varied program of educational and entertaining activities, will be held on October 21-25 in the Lingotto Fiere exhibition center in Turin, concurrently with the Terra Madre global meeting of food communities.
This is the eighth edition of the biennial event, organized by the Region Piedmont, the City of Turin and the Slow Food association. Representing the three parties this afternoon were the president of the region of Piedmont Roberto Cota, city councillor for Commerce, Tourism and Productive Activities Alessandro Altamura, the president of Slow Food Italy Roberto Burdese and the president of Slow Food International, Carlo Petrini.
In front of several hundred journalists, food sector professionals, academics, government representatives and friends of the association, the speakers discussed the main features of the Salone, which for the last 14 years has not only brought together thousands of conscientious food producers of the greatest quality, but is also continuing to set precedents in event organization and management, as site of innovation and experimentation towards sustainability in all aspects.
As Roberto Burdese explained, the organization of the fair involves original and innovative ideas towards a reduced environmental impact, a project carried out in collaboration with the Industrial Design faculty of the Polytechnic University of Turin. After the success of a 40% reduction of environmental impact in 2008, the aim for the Salone 2010 is to reach a reduction of 60% of the environmental footprint , through efficiency and creative thinking in the fitting-out of the exhibition space, transport of goods and management of waste and use of energy and water.
This aspect was echoed by the city councillor Altamura, saying that it is a point of pride for the city of Turin to host an event at the forefront of sustainable development and praising the Salone and Slow Food for nurturing a ‘culture of excellence’.
New this year is the layout of the exhibition space which evokes the theme of the event – “Food +/= Places” – on a structural level: stands will be organised by territory. Bringing all producers of a region together conveys a sense of place that also recalls the myriad of ways in which the people of a region – food producers and others – are interconnected, creating, in the words of President of Slow Food Carlo Petrini, the culture of a place.
Petrini stressed the importance of the event beyond the five days of the fair. The good practices developed here – direct interaction between producers and consumers, reduction of waste, emphasis on education, food quality and personal involvement – need to be translated into daily habits and become part of the real economy.
The activities and events of the Salone del Gusto, such as taste workshops, educational parcours for children, conferences, debates, meetings with well-known and lesser known food producers, are really a reflection of the daily work of food communities all over the world. Petrini insisted on the particular importance of this aspect in view of the prospect of ‘lean years’ faced by people the world over. The Salone del Gusto, he emphasized, serves to showcase the future of stronger local economies that are sustainable on an environmental, economical, but also social and cultural level.
The program of the Internazional Salone del Gusto is online now in the Italian version and from June 1 also available in English, German, French, and Spanish at www.salonedelgusto.it. Workshops and activities can already be booked online.
Ufficio Stampa/Press Office Salone del Gusto – Terra Madre:
c/o Slow Food: Tel. +39 0172 419653/45/66/12 [email protected] Fax +39 0172 419725
c/o Regione Piemonte: Tel. +39 011 4323312 [email protected]
c/o Comune di Torino: Tel. +39 011 4423606 [email protected]
www.salonedelgusto.it / www.terramadre.org