Slow Food Launches New Organizational Structure in South Korea

On May 22, 2014, Slow Food officially launches a new organizational structure: Slow Food Korea. This will take place in the presence of Sunghoon Kim, chairman emeritus of SFCC & former Minister for Agriculture and Forestry; Paolo Di Croce, General Secretary of Slow Food International; Serena Milano, General Secretary of the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, as well as leaders and members from the Slow Food network in Korea. The Slow Food network has grown steadily in Asia after the launch of Slow Food Japan in 2004 and the creation of a broad Slow Food and Terra Madre network throughout the continent. In South Korea this trend was strengthened even more thanks to the launch of the first edition of AsiO Gusto in Namyangju last October, an event that attracted an extraordinary 500,000 visitors, small-scale producers and delegates from 40 countries in Asia and Oceania, and showcased the gastronomic diversity of these continents.

On the occasion of the launch Paolo Di Croce says: “Being able to strengthen the organizational structure of Slow Food in South Korea fills us with joy. The presence of Slow Food in this country is spreading more and more in terms of members, projects and organizational capacity and is also going to encourage the expansion of our network throughout Asia. The wealth of Korean gastronomic culture and its spiritual approach to food are a precious resource of enrichment for Slow Food International”.

According to Serena Milano “our presence in Seoul shows our appreciation of the hard work the Slow Food network in Korea has undergone in the past years to defend food biodiversity, a battle that we are still fighting all around the world. We can be optimistic about this if we can count on the same energy found in this country. During this visit we are launching the stage following the international Ark of Taste project, namely the Slow Food Presidia projects that support quality production at risk of extinction; protect unique regions and ecosystems; recover traditional processing methods; and safeguard native breeds and local plant varieties. Creating the first four Korean Presidia constitutes the beginning of the relaunch of the immense gastronomic patrimony of Korean tradition”.

May 22, the launch day for Slow Food Korea, sees a series of events starting off with a Symposium on Family Farming and Biodiversity featuring two keynote speeches and three case studies between 10am-12pm: Sunghoon Kim will give a keynote speech on “Family Farming and Biodiversity” and Serena Milano on the “Slow Food Ark of Taste and Presidia”. The launch event follows at 2 pm at the Franciscan Education Center in Seoul and sees welcome speeches by Sunghoon Kim and Paolo Di Croce as well as the launch ceremony.

During their visit to Korea, Paolo Di Croce and Serena Milano are also visiting the producers of four Ark of Taste products that boarded the Ark last October and that are candidate for Presidia. The products in question are: Yeonsan Ogye Chicken, Chik-so Cattle, Don Tea, and Purerun Kong soybean paste. 

For further information and interviews, please contact the Slow Food International Press Office:

Paola Nano, +39 329 8321285 [email protected]

* Slow Food involves millions of people dedicated to and passionate about good, clean and fair food. This includes chefs, youth, activists, farmers, fishers, experts and academics in over 150 countries; a network of around 100,000 Slow Food members linked to 1,500 local chapters worldwide (known as convivia), contributing through their membership fee, as well as the events and campaigns they organize; and 2,000 Terra Madre food communities who practice small-scale and sustainable production of quality food around the world.

** Slow Food Presidia are projects that support quality production at risk of extinction; protect unique regions and ecosystems; recover traditional processing methods; and safeguard native breeds and local plant varieties. Each project involves a community of small-scale producers and provides technical assistance to improve production quality, identify new market outlets and organize exchanges with producers internationally through the large Slow Food events. http://www.slowfoodfoundation.com/presidia

*** The Ark of Taste travels the world collecting small-scale quality productions that belong to the cultures, history and traditions of the entire planet: an extraordinary heritage of fruits, vegetables, animal breeds, cheeses, breads, sweets and cured meats. The Ark was created to point out the existence of these products, draw attention to the risk of their extinction within a few generations, invite everyone to take action to help protect them. http://www.slowfoodfoundation.com/ark