Slow Food at the Organic World Congress – IFOAM

Carlo Petrini, president of Slow Food International, Vandana Shiva, vice-president of Slow Food International, Roberto Burdese, president of Slow Food Italy, and Piero Sardo, president of the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, are present at 16th Organic World Congress ‘Cultivate the Future’, organized by IFOAM, the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) from June 16-20 in Modena, Italy.

This world meeting will serve as a platform for discussion on the four cardinal principles of organic agriculture: health, fairness, ecology and care.

Carlo Petrini attended the inaugural meeting of the Congress on Tuesday 17 and, reflecting on the world meeting, said that, ‘With the current rise in food prices, the promotion and development of organic agriculture is fundamental. Organic agriculture should not be questioned because of the deliberate misleading criticism it might receive’.

He added that, ‘The introduction of organic food products to canteens in general – in schools, hospitals, universities and so on – will be a crucial step in ensuring that these foods, once reserved for a select few, become part of everyone’s daily diet’.

Yesterday Vandana Shiva and Carlo Petrini spoke at a plenary session on ‘Ecology and Care’, while Roberto Burdese outlined Slow Food’s role in saving biodiversity at a discussion on organic agriculture and nature conservation.

Piero Sardo also delivered an engaging speech at a meeting on rural development, explaining how the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity and Fairtrade Italia have united to support a three-year project entitled ‘Sustainable agriculture, biodiversity protection and fair trade, together against poverty’ co-financed by the European Union.