We are back just last week from a whirl wind trip to Italy having been selected by the Slow Food Organisational Committee, to attend Terra Madre 2008 in Turin, Italy.
What a trip! And what a mammoth task that now lies ahead of me as I endeavour to continue practising, preaching and implementing the Slow Food principles that have been refreshed and nourished through this meet.
For those of you not familiar with Terra Madre ‘mother earth’ this Slow Food movement brings together those players in the food chain who together support sustainable agriculture, fishing, and breeding with the goal of preserving taste and biodiversity.
Slow Food and the Terra Madre family works to defend local cultures and products, in order to make real the Slow Food concept of Good, Clean, and Fair quality. Good refers to the quality of food products and of their taste; Clean, to a production process that respects the natural environment ; and Fair, in which there is dignity and appropriate economic return for the people who produce, including respect from those who consume.
Terra Madre offered me a unique opportunity to spend five days with small-scale food producers and farmers, cooks and academics from 150 countries, attend workshops and conferences held every two years in conjunction with the Salone del Gusto, the largest artisanal food fair in the world held from 23 - 27 October 2008; staged in Turin to utilise the massive sports complex built to host some of the events at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
My personal highlights of the conference was the opening and closing ceremony of which we were addressed by Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini and other inspirational and notable food activists such as Vandana Shiva, Alice Waters, a bevy of Italian officials, as well as a pre-recorded video message from Prince Charles; a long time activist of the Slow Food Movement.
There is much that I have experienced and come to understand from my time in Italy at these two events to now pass on to my food community the ‘McIntosh & Bowman’ Food community.
I will endeavour to do so over the coming weeks to share the experience and the ideas and teaching I have gained.
Please share your thoughts on this topic and feel free to ask questions in the mean time.
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