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WRAPPING IT UP
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Among the 6,300 delegates who attended the third edition of the international Terra Madre meeting over October 23-27 in Turin, Italy this year, were more than 4,000 small-scale farmers, breeders, fishers and artisan producers, 800 cooks, 300 academics, 1000 young people and 200 musicians representing 1652 food communities and 150 countries as well as hundreds of volunteers and observers.
Welcoming the enthused crowd to four days of colorful meetings, discussion and exchange, Slow Food President Carlo Petrini spoke of the strengths of the movement: “I believe that it is people such as those in the Terra Madre network who represent the future and who will lead the third Industrial Revolution. The local economies they represent are already ahead of their time; they know how to produce food in a virtuous way and many have been doing so for a long time without exploiting nature.”
The importance of traditional farming knowledge and the Terra Madre network in finding a sustainable solution to the global food crisis was also emphasized in messages sent to delegates by the United Nations and HRH The Prince of Wales. ‘I welcome initiatives such as yours which contribute to building new partnerships and focus public opinion on small-scale farming,’ stated UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Prince Charles spoke about his views on agriculture via video, emphasizing that the solution to many problems and the current global food shortages, “rests largely with the truly sustainable farmer…it is crucial for your voices to be heard in these global debates.”
The message being spread by Terra Madre is gaining momentum on every level – from food producer to global policymaker. In a clear sign of the political strength it has gained, at the Closing Ceremony the Italian government invited a Terra Madre delegation to serve as an interlocutor to the G8 meeting next year in Sardinia, Italy. This unprecedented invitation will give significant voice to a representation of the 450 million smallholder farmers of the world who do not typically have the opportunity to influence global policy decision-making.
Ensuring that this knowledge and leadership is passed on, the network grew stronger this year with the emergence of the Youth Food Movement - represented at the meeting by 1000 young farmers, cooks and students committed to the defense of food and food culture. Sam Levin, a 15-year-old student at Monument Mountain High School in Massachusetts, spoke at the Opening Ceremony about his school project and explained why he had come to Terra Madre: “What all of you have started is an unbelievable beginning to a powerful revolution. But I know that all of you are wondering if my generation will be able to continue that revolution, and carry it to the extent of its mission…. I’m here today because I want you to know that we get it. We will be the generation that reunites mankind with the earth.”
The fourteen Terra Madre Conferences at the tenth edition of Slow Food’s Salone del Gusto successfully united the two events for the first time and opened discussion to Salone’s 180,000 visitors on topics important to sustainable food production. The presentation of the Manifesto on Climate Change and the Future of Food Security by the International Commission on the Future of Food and Agriculture to a full auditorium marked a fundamental step, joining past manifestos on the future of food and seeds. Vandana Shiva, Indian scientist, activist and Slow Food vice-president, introduced the document and outlined why it is vital to consider agriculture in analyses of climate change and discussions of possible solutions.
Education was a key theme of the meeting’s forty Earth Workshops, with Terra Madre communities presenting a diverse range of projects that are bringing about cultural change around the world through food education. In addition, more than 1,800 delegates made their way through Journey to the Origins of Taste - a series of interactive activities included in the program for the first time this year – to discover more about sensory qualities. While the slow approach to Taste Education has been introduced to consumers for some time, it is equally important for farmers and producers, allowing them to better understanding the uniqueness of their product and how to improve production and market opportunities. The three stages of the activity – a video, activity workbook and oral guide - were all translated into the eight official languages of the Terra Madre event.
In addition, 28 regional and national meetings provided an opportunity for producers, cooks, academics and youth to come together to discuss how they can work together and the developments and concerns in moving towards a good, clean and fair food system in their area of the world. In the meeting of African food communities, 600 delegates listened to speakers from across the continent discuss impact of GMOs and biofuels on their communities, and the dangers of a possible Green Revolution for small-scale, traditional agriculture. Representatives from Presidia projects such as Wukro honey from Ethiopia and mullet bottarga made by Imraguen women in Mauritania, presented their stories and explained how Slow Food has helped them to improve, promote and find a market for their products.
These regional networks will regroup back in their homelands, and many plan to establish more formal coordination groups and are proposing Terra Madre gatherings at a national, regional or local level following the successful experiences of Terra Madre meetings in the Netherlands and Ireland in 2008, and Kenya and Brazil in 2007. Returning home with increased motivation, energy and enthusiasm, this is the time to realize joint projects, to continue the work that has been achieved so far and to carry on strengthening the network.
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"Terra Madre was undoubtedly one of the liveliest and most practical events this century. When we were the pioneers attending the first edition in 2004, no one imagined such a wonderful event could exist anywhere in the world… several years have passed, friendships have been strengthened and exchanges established. For a few incredible days our lives have been vastly enriched, food producers of the world have met and learned from each other".
Odome Angone
Terra Madre Delegate 2008
Mbolo Convivium de Libreville (Gabon)
"We are in the midst of three major crisis: the crisis of finance, the crisis of food, the crisis of the environment including climate change, are all routed in the same causes. The globalized economy is based on fictions, it is based on greed, is failing us, is leading from crisis to crisis. Terra Madre invites us to return to the terra – earth, and madre – the earth as mother. All we have to do is once again remember how our mothers fed the world… It’s that generosity and abundance of sharing, of caring that we must rejuvenate. We can, we are the future, let’s make it happen".
Vandana Shiva
Slow Food International Vice President
Opening Ceremony
"Traditional and local knowledge constitutes an extensive realm of accumulated practical knowledge and knowledge-generating capacity that is needed if sustainability and development goals are to be reached’. These are some of the wisest words I have heard in recent years and each and every one of you, if I may say so, ladies and gentlemen, is a testament to their truth".
HRH Prince of Wales
Recorded Message for Terra Madre 2008 Opening Ceremony
Maori call ourselves tangata whenua, people of the land. Traditionally we understand how to maximize the land’s potential, without compromising its natural value….We are the caretakers that must ensure the survival for our children. If we don’t use our resources, how can we make sure they are healthy? To be able to feed your family is to truly have freedom!
Heeni Hoterene
Closing Ceremony, TM Delegate 2008
Aotearoa/New Zealand
"I came from Scotland with a community of crafters, the people of the highlands and islands of Scotland. I met my friend Sam from Necofa, Kenya and we talked about how we could link our communities. I introduced him to Norman from Shetland and Neil from the Western Isles. We are hoping to connect two schools in Kenya with two schools in Scotland – the gift of Terra Madre".
Pam Rodway
Terra Madre Delegate 2008
Scotland
"This is the first time I visited Terra Madre with the Indian delegation. I loved it! So much great work, I feel hopeful for the future of mother earth. I would like to see more interactive workshops with ordinary visitors especially school children, to spread ideas. With deep gratitude and admiration".
Vidya Rao
Singer
India
"I thank the organizers of Terra Madre for making it possible for us (Malawians) to learn more about different things such as beekeeping, marketing, climate change, environmental conservation and other topics. The function has also enabled us to meet and interact with people from different parts of the world".
Anonymous
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