Knowledge Is Key to Empowering the People Determined to Change the Food System 

Slow Food sees education as the driving force behind a necessary shift toward agroecology

Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2024 (September 26-30 in Parco Dora, Turin, Italy) will be mobilizing the energies of Slow Food’s delegates and activists who will gather from over 120 countries to transform our broken food system.

Slow Food has identified five keywords that will shape the debate on solutions to the climate and food system crisis:

Diversity – Community – Synergy – Justice – Knowledge

In previous press releases  we talked about Diversity and Justice, now let’s look at…

Knowledge

The climate crisis is real. If humanity is to survive we need to act urgently and transform our food systems based on sustainable, fair and inclusive models. Agroecology is one of the best tools we have to achieve this: With agroecological measures we can enhance biodiversity, improve food security and promote environmental stewardship.

Education begets knowledge and knowledge begets action for change. Slow Food is working to provide opportunities for co-creation and knowledge sharing. Terra Madre is our invitation to learn—from nature and from each other.

During the event, an area within Parco Dora will offer a space for delegates and the public to learn about and exchange experiences around agroecology, with debates about food sovereignty and agroecological practices in the field and workshops on the co-creation of knowledge. Best practices from the network will be showcased and useful tools, methodologies, practical steps will be shared through participatory processes. Forums will also be held on topics like safeguarding vulnerable regions like Ceará in Brazil and the co-management of aquatic resources, among a host of other opportunities for knowledge sharing. The full program for the area can be found here (selecting Knowledge area)

Megumi Watanabe, a Slow Food Board member from Japan, stresses the importance of education and knowledge: “Learning in and with nature reconnects us to the Earth, arouses interest and curiosity about the environment and puts us back in touch with natural rhythms. To understand the value of food, and to make informed decisions as eaters about the things we eat, we need to rediscover the link between food and its agricultural, social and economic background. Participating in Terra Madre will once again give our delegates and the public the opportunity to enrich their knowledge and return home with renewed enthusiasm for pursuing the good, clean and fair revolution.”

Education and knowledge exchange can also be found at Terra Madre in many other forms.

Conferences will be held about the crucial resources of seeds (Human Rights, Food Sovereignty and Climate Change: Listening to Indigenous Peoples) soil (The Triangle of Life: Vines, Animals and Soil and water (The Future We Want: Young People Share Best Practices for the Waterlands). Others will explore diverse approaches to agroecology (Agroecology: Cultivating a Resilient Future), increasing biodiversity (Our Food is Our Health: Biodiversity Feeds the Planet), improving food security (Indigenous Women and Youth on the Front Line, Reshaping the Future) and promoting environmental stewardship, as well as topics such as the cultural significance of wild foods, the nutritional benefits of foraging and the innovative methods being used to sustainably harvest wild resources.

The session With Our Eyes, Our Hands, Our Voices… Education: A Laboratory for the Future explores some of Slow Food’s international education projects and how

“education” can take a thousand forms, giving young people a chance to learn but also to unleash their creativity and imagine different futures.

Slow Food activists will share how they have been leading processes of food sovereignty and autonomy in their local areas as part of the transformation of food systems. In the Network Meeting series “The Future We Want,” young people will discuss best practices for urban areas, lowlands, highlands and waterlands.

A tasting experience (Foraging in the Forest and Beyond) puts knowledge into practice by looking at foraging on land, the collection of wild plants such as mushrooms and acorns and how they can be transformed into delicious dishes that respect and highlight local resources.

Terra Madre is also hosting an Escape Room where, through play, people can reflect on important themes related to the food we eat and try to answer these questions: What impact does intensive animal farming have on natural resources and sustainability? How can we optimize the food supply chain with simple solutions to make it more sustainable? How much food do we waste, and how can we waste less?

The Escape Room is part of the Beautifood project, which will also be the subject of the conference What Europe Do You Want? Let’s Make the Change Together!

The international Market is the venue where producers from the Slow Food network can sell their products but also share knowledge and ideas. This year, it will feature over 180 Presidia, groups of small-scale producers who work every day to save native livestock breeds, local fruit and vegetable varieties, breads, cheeses, cured meats, sweets and more. They are committed to passing on traditional production techniques, crafts and their care for the environment.