Southern Africa at Terra Madre Salone del Gusto

The 14th edition of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto will take place in Turin from September 22-26, 2022. Terra Madre, the largest gathering of the Slow Food network, aims at designing a different future for food, a future that takes shape through the daily choices of individuals, in the collective efforts of communities, and in the policies of both public and private institutions. Over 3000 delegates from 130 countries and more than 700 exhibitors will participate in the event. Slow Food’s delegation from South Africa consists of about 25 people. The representative countries for the Southern area of Africa will be Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, South Africa, Angola, Lesotho and Zambia. Producers, farmers, fishermen, activists and many other people active in the Slow Food movement will take part in Terra Madre Salone del Gusto in Turin, bringing their knowledge, stories and products. There will be 13 delegates from South Africa, 6 from Malawi, 2 from Madagascar, 2 from Lesotho and 2 from Zambia. During Terra Madre Salone del Gusto it will be possible to find out ingredients and traditional dishes from Lesotho, such as Ground Roasted Sorghum Meal and breakfast bowls, prepared by the indigenous chef Sekamotho Mirriam Moteanev. In Lesotho, Slow Food Cook’s Alliance team is working hard by adding even more value to traditional dishes. On Saturday 24 at 12.30 pm within the Food and Health space Christian Adams of the Steenberg’s Cove fishing community, South Africa, will take part in the forum The Health of Ecosystems: A Common Good to Preserve about the ecosystem health for our well-being. On Sunday 25 at 10 am Thresa Bwalya will take part in the workshop Advocacy Capacity Building Workshop and will talk about women land rights as a key to development. She will be with other members of the African network who will share their experience with advocating for better food policies.

Meet the delegates

Beyond the official program, many delegates from Southern Africa will be present at Terra Madre Salone del Gusto:

South Africa

• Melissa Le Court de Billot fights the spread of GMO crops in South Africa by working with local communities to recover traditional seeds and the knowledge that surrounds them. She retrieved seeds of old varieties from those whom she calls the “original farmers” from KwaZulu-Natal province and distributed them to “custodians”, urban farmers living in the township of Soweto and Orange Farm, South Africa. She is also the Rainbow Maize Presidium coordinator.
• Christian John Adams is a small-scale fisher and, together with other fishermen from his coast, has fought against seismic mining in the interest of the local fishing economy and ecosystem health. He is part of the Collective of South African Small Scale Fishers, a national alliance of small scale fishers consisting of members from all four coastal provinces of South Africa.
• Lihle Mavuso and Manisha Shah are both producers and chefs. Lihle Mavuso is a participant to The Sustainable Nutrition for Climate Action Research Project, facilitated by One Planet SA in collaboration with the University of Bristol and the TESF network, which aims to investigate what helps people to make more sustainable food choices – and what prevents them from changing. Manisha Shah’s East African inspired dishes are popular sellers at Reko markets, making the most of the organic, seasonal produce from her garden. Determined to keep cooking and not allow the excess produce to go to waste, she began advertising ‘What’s for Supper’ on a WhatsApp group in the estate she lives on.
• Themba Chauke is a former student from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo and Slow Food Gardens in Africa coordinator in Limpopo area, South Africa. He is the head of the 10000 gardens project and part of the Indigenous Peoples Network.
• Dineo Boshomane is a farmer and she runs a thriving organic farm in Diepsloot, South Africa. She worked for five years as a nurse before realizing it wasn’t for her and starting dedicating to her farm. Now she also teaches people about sustainable farming, promoting organic food not boosted by chemical fertilizers.
• Gregory Craig Henderson is a chef and member of the Slow Food Chefs Alliance South Africa. He contributes to revitalizing the forgotten food crops of South Africa through the Ark of Taste. He is also part of the Slow Wine Coalition.

Zambia

• Beatrice Phiri and Thresa Bwalhia, producers from Zambia, are members of the Indigenous Terra Madre Network and Gardens in Africa coordinator.

Malawi

• Smart Nyirenda is a producer and part of the Slow Food Coffee Coalition based in Malawi.
• Lowani Mfundawanga Msiska is a producer and environmental activist in the Northern region of Malawi since 2009 involved in fighting climate change. He is also part of the Slow Food Coffee Coalition.
• Violet Mbeye is a producer, educator, food activist and part of the Indigenous Peoples Network of Slow Food.
• Manvester Ackson Khoza is a National Coordinator for Slow Food projects in Malawi, responsible for national Coordination and communication. He is also a food activist and member of both Indigenous Peoples Network and Slow Food Coffee Coalition. He joined the Slow Food network in 2011. From the very beginning, he started 12 new school gardens in the Lura area and set up, in 2012, the first of a series of Conviviums in the country.
• Francis Maclear Kachali is an administrative and technical officer for the Agricultural Extension Planning Area in the Ministry of Agriculture of Malawi. He is also a representative from the Indigenous Peoples Network.

Lesotho

• Sekamotho Mirriam Moteane is an indigenous chef and coordinator of the St. Leo Primary School Garden project in Ha Makhoathi village in the Maseru district of Lesotho. She is also the author of the cooking book Cuisine of the Mountain Kingdom: Cooking in Lesotho.
• Matebello Claurina Kheola is a farmer, part of the international network of Slow Beans.

Angola

• Amadeu Ricardo Massimbo is a producer, food activist and part of the Indigenous Peoples Network of Slow Food.

The 14th edition of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto will take place in Turin from September 22-26, 2022. Terra Madre, the largest gathering of the Slow Food network, aims at designing a different future for food, a future that takes shape through the daily choices of individuals, in the collective efforts of communities, and in the policies of both public and private institutions. Over 3000 delegates from 130 countries and more than 700 exhibitors will participate in the event.