Indigenous Peoples of America gather for the first time in Mexico

The international event will bring together delegations from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Cuba, Peru and the USA.

Terra Madre Indigena Pueblos de America will take place from February 21 to 24, 2020, in the Nahua indigenous community of Tlaola (Puebla – Mexico).The central theme of the event will be the role of indigenous women and youth in the protection of traditional food systems.

The event is organized by the Nahuas women and youth who safeguard the Slow Food Ark of Taste of the Serrano de Tlaola Chile, (created in 2016 to preserve the native seed of the Serrano Chile and javascript:achieve recognition for the indigenous women’s role in peasant labor), together with the Network of Tlaola indigenous women’s organizations (created to develop productive projects that improve the living conditions of women), alongside the Slow Food Mexico, the Indigenous Terra Madre network and Slow Food.

“Indigenous women live in a constant struggle to be recognized as possessors of great knowledge and traditions, in our hands it is protected the earth, seeds and history, when we cook, sow and harvest, we share all these treasures through the food that our grandmothers taught us and in each season a Good, Clean and Fair Ancestral Flavor is protected. ” said Dalí Nolasco, Terra Madre Indigenous Network Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean, as she emphasizes on the importance of women hosting this event.

80% of the most biodiverse places on Earth are found within Indigenous peoples’ territories, a figure that has shown their importance in safeguarding life on the planet to the international community. From a holistic perspective, Indigenous Peoples’ food systems can provide answers to global issues such as climate change and food sovereignty. Latin America alone has 40% of the Earth’s biodiversity and indigenous peoples make up 8 to 10% of its population. Unfortunately, this role of life protectors is threatened by several factors such as migration due to lack of opportunities, cultural assimilation, land grabbing and violence against Mother Earth protectors.

The meeting will bring together more than 70 delegates from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Cuba, Peru and the USA.

The event will begin with a public conference with cultural activities and forums on the rights of indigenous peoples, and protection of their territories; seed conservation, biodiversity and resilience to climate change; and the safeguard of traditional knowledge.

For the opening ceremony we will have the presence of local and state authorities, as well as federal government institutions, the United Nations and Mexican and international civic organizations.

After the first day, indigenous youth will take a comprehensive four days training process, with the aim of strengthening the Terra Madre Indigenous network (ITM) in America and the leadership abilities of young people for the defense and promotion of food heritage.

During the meeting, participants will create an Action Plan for the continent, and will commit to developing it when they return to their communities.

This event is possible thanks to the support of the International Fund for Agricultural Development – IFAD, The Christensen Fund and Tamalpais Trust.

For more information:

Dalí Nolasco –  Indigenous Terra Madre Network Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean
[email protected]

Slow Food press office: Giulia Capaldi – [email protected]

Slow Food is a worldwide network of local communities founded in 1989 in order to counteract the disappearance of local food traditions and the spread of fast food culture. Since then, Slow Food has grown to become a global movement that involves millions of people in more than 160 countries and works so that we can all have access to good, clean and fair food. Slow Food is, therefore, an extensive organization that plays an essential role in the entire movement.

Indigenous Terra Madre (ITM) is a network of indigenous communities, collaborators and organizations that was born to put the voice of indigenous communities at the forefront of the debate on food and culture, and to institutionalize the participation of indigenous peoples in the Slow Food movement and its projects. As well as to develop, both regional and global networks. IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) and The Christensen Fund have supported the growth and strengthening of the network since its inception. The ITM events are organized together with the communities of indigenous peoples, held in their territories and supported by their main partners.