TURIN, Italy – From October 8 Terra Madre Salone del Gusto will come to life with a rich calendar of digital and physical events, the vast majority free, which is being constantly updated at www.terramadresalonedelgusto.com.
With the support of its international network and long-time event co-organizers the Region of Piedmont and the City of Turin, Slow Food has been working hard to ensure that the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting curbs on travel and public gatherings open up different but equally stimulating opportunities for Terra Madre Salone del Gusto.
It will be an edition packed with voices, stories and contributions from 160 countries around the world, with the theme Our Food, Our Planet, Our Future.
Flagship events from the opening weekend:
- New Geographies and Possible Futures: The inaugural conference of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2020 will be held on Thursday October 8 at 5pm (CEST). Speakers include Franco Farinelli, former Professor of Geography at the University of Bologna, now teaching at the University of Geneva, UCLA, UC Berkeley and the Sorbonne in Paris; Paul Collier, director of the International Growth Centre (IGC), an economic research center based at the London School of Economics; and Virginie Raisson, an international relations analyst specializing in geopolitics and the director of the French research center LEPAC.
- The October 10 Relay: An international dialog involving five continents and as many macro-themed discussions (all times CEST):
- 5am: Asia and Oceania get things started with a conversation about the climate crisis, the environment and sustainability, with Sunita Narain, Bruce Pascoe and Daekwon Hwang.
- 3am: Africa and the Middle East discuss migration, the degradation of natural resources and land rights. With Agness Kirabo, Mary Abukutsa and Saad Dagher.
- 3am: The baton passes to Europe, tackling the Green Deal and the Farm to Fork strategy as ways to construct a healthier and more sustainable food system. Johan Rockström, Virginijus Sinkevicius and Valérie Masson-Delmotte lead the debate.
- 5pm: In South America we look at the devastation of the Amazon rainforest and the struggles of the indigenous people who live there, with Miguel Altieri, Virgilio Martinez and Célia Xakriabá.
- 7pm: North America brings the day to a close with a discussion on equality, inclusion and justice in local food systems with Alice Waters, Matthew Raiford and Leah Penniman.
- All video content is freely available with both English and Italian subtitles. The Forums, meanwhile, will feature live translation via Zoom and are also free to access, though registration is required. A fundraising campaign has been launched in support of Terra Madre and all the projects that Slow Food carries forward across the world: Acting together for the common good.
In Italy:
- October 17-18, 20 Years in the Name of Biodiversity: We celebrate two decades of the Slow Food Presidia and look to the future with a conference and “Open Presidia” day on Sunday, where producers open their doors to visitors and share their stories as custodians of biodiversity. The weekend’s events are part of the European Green Week program, whose theme for 2020 is nature and biodiversity.
- October 23-24, Terra Madre Bergamo: In one of the Italian cities worst hit by the pandemic, Slow Food Italy together with the municipal authorities of Bergamo and Milan is organizing a meeting between towns participating in the “Milan Urban Food Policy Pact“. Guests include the mayor of Bergamo, Giorgio Gori, and the Deputy Mayor of Milan, Anna Scavuzzo, as well as Antonio Parenti, head of the European Commission’s Representation in Italy; the president of Coldiretti Italia, Ettore Prandini; the president of WWF Italia, Donatella Bianchi; the president of the Symbola foundation, Ermete Realacci; Maurizio Martina and Moni Ovadia.
- November 12-15, Terramare Napoli: The first edition of an event organized by Slow Food Campania and the Region of Campania, offering the public a chance to get to know the region’s food with a market-fair featuring over 100 stalls offering heirloom legumes, seafood caught in local waters, baked goods made with flour milled from locally grown wheat and many other regional specialties.
Around the world:
- From October 8, Terra Madre Fringe: Five days of virtual events focusing on the response of the restaurant industry and food production in the UK to Covid-19.
- From October 8, Slow Food Germany: The Terra Madre program will be launched with a round-table discussion and a photographic flash mob on biocultural diversity and how European institutions can use EU funds (starting with the CAP) to support it.
- From October 13, Terra Madre Philippines: A six-moth program with dozens of both digital and physical events centered around the themes of food sovereignty, regenerative agriculture, and the need to support local communities, especially the poorest areas of the biggest cities which have seen a significant decline in food access in recent months.
- October 24: A Slow Food Market will feature as part of the Food Zurich event.
- November 17-22, Terra Madre Brasile: The third edition of the event will have three main themes: food culture and biodiversity, food education and food security (particularly in schools), and the political impact and mobilization of civil society.
- October 2020 – April 2021, Azerbaijan: Many activities are planned in the country as part of Covcheg (Community-based Value Chain Enhancement in the Greater Caucasus Mountains), a project funded by the EU and coordinated by Slow Food.
Also at Terra Madre Salone del Gusto:
- Food Talks: Ten-minute streamed videos, with guest speakers including Dave Goulson, Fritjof Capra, Larissa Bombardi, Wen Tiejun, Jessica Fanzo, Sarah Frazee, María Nelly Torres Benavides, Anthony Myint and Carolyn Steel.
- Forums: Discussions between Slow Food delegates will be accessible online on the Terra Madre platform between 9am and 5pm, allowing delegates from around the world to participate. The major theme is ecosystems: the lowlands (Friday October 9) from traditional crops to GMOs, highlands (Sunday October 11) and their issues of depopulation and hydrogeological instability, water lands, and the sustainable management of both fresh- and saltwater environments (Sunday October 11) and urban lands, exploring good practices that can help re-establish a harmonious rapport between urban spaces and the rural world (Monday October 12).
- How It’s Made: Discover traditional crafts and trades that are passed down from generation to generations around the world in these short explanatory videos.
For more information: Official Website – Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2020 www.terramadresalonedelgusto.com
