The first steps on The Road to Terra Madre

The Slow Food network is organizing events around the world to celebrate good, clean and fair food and to start the path to Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2022, the largest international gathering of the network, which takes place in Turin, Italy, from September 22 to 26. “More than ever the events along The Road to Terra Madre show us how food can connect cultures and create a bridge to peace”, comments Paolo Di Croce, Slow Food Secretary General. “They’re a step towards a world where we can meet again, shake hands, share experiences and grow together, strengthening the Slow Food network and our campaigns. The current situation shows how climate change, food security and sustainability are all interconnected, and how we all have a role to play in creating a better world. That’s why the focus of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto is regeneration in all its forms: it’s time to design a different future for food”.

The Road to Terra Madre: the first events in the Slow Food calendar

The first event in the calendars calls cheese lovers to Bodrum, Turkey, from April 7 to 10. The protagonists of the fourth edition of Slow Cheese Bodrum are small-scale artisan cheesemakers from across Anatolia, a region with a wide diversity of cheese and dairy products, with special guests from Cyprus and Italy. Besides the market there’ll be educational activities, conferences and workshops with cheesemakers. More information here.  

The 15th edition of the Market of Good Taste (Markt des guten Geschmacks)  in Stuttgart,  from April 21 to 24, is Slow Food Germany’s leading trade fair. For four days, the focus will be on sustainable, local, handcrafted food. The joy of cooking and appreciating other food cultures are the foundational pillars of the fair, which features high-quality, artisanal bread and grain products, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, fish, meat, oils, vinegars, herbs and confectionery. More information here.

On April 30 we celebrate World Disco Soup Day, the Slow Food Youth Network’s largest collective effort to combat food waste and climate change, now in its 6th edition. Everybody can join the Disco Soup in different ways: whether individually or with friends, in the kitchen or in a public space: the goal is to raise awareness around the climate crisis and how our food choices can be part of the solution. More information here.

Dozens of events are planned throughout Italy, beginning with a series of initiatives in Rome called Terra Madre Anteprima (Terra Madre Preview), from May 6 to 8 and from May 13 to 15, with the support of the Lazio Regional Authority, in collaboration with Legambiente, Arsial and the Municipality of Rome, and with the participation of the Small Municipalities of Lazio. One of the venues will be the wonderful park of Villa Borghese, which will host conferences, taste education activities and a Slow Food Earth Market with producers from across the region.

This year’s virtual Slow Seed Summit will take place from May 13 to 15 and will feature three days of programming and incredible keynote speakers. The Slow Seed Summit brings together growers, experts and activists to discuss seed sovereignty and preservation and other central topics in the world of seeds. Tickets will go on sale on the Slow Food USA website on April 14. More information here.

Bratislava, Slovakia, hosts Degustorium on May 22. This third edition of the event animates the historic central market with products from the Ark of Taste, conferences, workshops and dinners. It will also be the occasion for the launch of the  Bátovce Slow Food Earth Market. More information here.

Going up north, from September 1 to 3, Stockholm hosts Terra Madre Nordic, focusing on regenerative and resilient food systems. Besides an artisan food market, workshops, tastings and debates about our future food system, there will also be a competition involving producers to support and inspire product development and increase the awareness and demand for artisan food. More information here.

Last but not least, Terra Madre Anatolia is the first meeting of farmers, shepherds and food producers from throughout Turkey, and will take place from September 2 to 11, celebrating the richness of Anatolia’s food biodiversity. Delegates from throughout Turkey and neighboring countries gather to discuss good, clean and fair food, concentrating on four staple products: grapes, olives, cheese and wheat. More information here.

These are the first events organized by the Slow Food network on The Road to Terra Madre. The list is regularly updated, so stay tuned!

Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2022

The largest and most important international event dedicated to food politics, sustainable agriculture and the environment takes place in Turin from September 22-26 and is organized by Slow Food, the Piedmont Region and the City of Turin. The goal of the event is to design 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. Click here for more information.