Terra Madre Giovani – We Feed The Planet addresses the world with a manifesto for the future: Never Waste a Food Crisis

Terra Madre Giovani – We Feed the Planet, Slow Food’s event dedicated to the future of food and young farmers from around the world, has come to an end in Milan

The four day event in the center of Milan was intense but very fruitful. Over 2,500 farmers, fishermen, scientists, students, chefs and other food professionals worked together to define a better food system for our future around five key issues: Innovation, Power, Heritage, Message and Commons.

“Never in my life have I felt the sense and force of such an extraordinary energy as during this meeting. Thank you. Thank you for coming, thank you for having worked so intensely for these last three days.” With this emotional expression of gratitude, Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini addressed the hundreds of delegates present for the closing ceremony of Terra Madre Giovani – We Feed The Planet. Petrini furthermore strikingly referred to the event as “The United Nations of Young Farmers in Milan.”

The high level of energy Petrini spoke about in the closing meeting is also reflected in the outcome of Terra Madre – We Feed The Planet: in over 45 countries new Slow Food Youth networks have been created, at least 5 countries will set up their own SFYN Academies and more than 30 projects and businesses have been initiated during the four day event. But the most significant outcome might be the manifesto that was created, based on input from all participants and delegates, in the form of an open Letter to the World: Never Waste a Food Crisis. A project by Het Nieuwe Instituut and Slow Food and created by independent documentary makers Prospektor.

On the platform https://feedingtheplanet.atavist.com/foodcrisis, it is now possible to find the manifesto of the joyous revolution begun in Milan over these past few days, with an open letter to the whole world, structured around four themes: natural equilibrium, fairness in the food system, political and institutional action and individual responsibility. The manifesto highlights how today is not just about celebrating the fundamental importance of the work of young farmers for the future and well-being of everyone. Instead, the seeds have been planted for a revolution destined to involve every corner of the world.

Terra Madre Giovani – We Feed The Planet was organized by Slow Food, the Slow Food Youth Network, the Terra Madre Foundation and the University of Gastronomic Sciences, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, Fondazione Cariplo and Compagnia di San Paolo, with the support of the City of Milan. The event’s Official Partners are UniCredit Foundation, Unaproa, Coldiretti Giovani Impresa and Lavazza.

Please find here a full report of the closing meeting. For more information, interview requests or photo images, please contact the press office: Sharon Sheets and Lisa Bottema / [email protected]