The eighth edition of Terra Madre closes.
Compared to the formula that two years ago had filled the squares of Turin, this return to the Lingotto warehouses a few pieces was lost on the way but the political significance of the world event dedicated to good, clean and fair food strengthens its political significance.
"Terra Madre will increasingly be a network that also forms part of the ruling class at a global level that deals with the environment and rural development. However, it is often the poorest populations who pay the heaviest duty of climate change, receiving desertification in return. poverty ”, relaunches Carlo Petrini, president of Slow Food.
"The time has come to change the pace, to launch a bottom-up mobilization that becomes an active element and is understood by politics and civil society. We have to start from the daily choices, which, if carried out by a multitude of people in every corner of the world, turn into real change ".
And referring to the event that is about to end, he continues: «Twenty-two years ago, when we started this adventure, we did not imagine that the choices we make in this context could have had a political and international relevance, and this charges the Turin event of responsibility".
"Our goal from now on is that the actions we have faced over these five days become everyday life". It is the wish expressed by Daniele Buttignol, general manager of Slow Food Italy: «In the middle of the last day - he continued - when the data are not yet definitive, the number of passages here at Lingotto is in line with the 2014, which has registered 220.000. It means that after the 2016 edition in the city center, returning to Lingotto has led us to welcome again many people who want to intervene and take action on our issues ». This marks the end of the 12th edition of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto, which once again brought together in the Piedmontese capital 7000 delegates from 150 Countries that with their stories, traditions and products animated the pavilions of Lingotto Fiere.
As Buttignol pointed out, "the first key word of this event is the network: it is the 7000 delegates from all over the world that make Terra Madre Salone del Gusto unique and make new projects for the future of our movement and especially the our proposal for a better society ". The second is education: sold out for the Forums and the Conferences, both at Lingotto Fiere and at the Nuazza Lavazza, attended by international speakers such as Amitav Ghosh, Sunita Narain, John Ikerd and Barry Lynn. The public met with Terra Madre delegates on topics such as breeding, climate change, natural foods and the future of bees. A thousand children who had fun with the routes prepared in the thematic areas, from board games to sensory activities to recognize the various seeds. And then there can be no lack of dialogue, which has allowed extraordinary exchanges between different cultures, in which geographically very distant populations take inspiration from each other to find solutions to very similar problems. «We have seen exchanges between producers and visitors, all crowned by the parade last night that brought together delegates and host families, with no barriers whatsoever. As always we want to thank all the realities that have made this edition of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto possible ».
Besides 1600 delegates were hosted in the 120 City of Terra Madre, «and it is not obvious to open the door to strangers who bring new cultures and new traditions. This means giving substance to the care of others, it means committing ourselves to understanding stories different from ours, "continues Buttignol.
«For the Piedmont Region this edition of Terra Madre is also a source of great satisfaction and pride. Once again the ability to network in the reception area has had important confirmations, and this is also thanks to that guarantee seal represented by Slow Food. Our satisfaction is also due to having at the center of the debate fundamental issues for the future of the planet: the use of land, water and air, climate change, the need to see food not so much as a set of chemical elements, as a culture, an opportunity for growth and freedom for all, as a guarantee of good health for everyone ", added Giorgio Ferrero, Councilor for Agriculture of the Piedmont Region.
Once again Turin was the protagonist and welcomed over 350 events that became part of the Terra Madre IN program, which involved dozens of local associations and over 7000 people. «We are very satisfied with this edition: an appointment that is now a symbol of the City of Turin. Network, dialogue and education are the themes around which the event revolved. I thank Slow Food and all those who made it possible, "continues Chiara Appendino, mayor of Turin. "It is important to reiterate that only the daily action of each of us can really make a difference for a future in which accessibility to food, quality and sustainability are a reality".
Besides 1000 also volunteers, pensioners, young people and migrants who made the event a success. «With the 4000 Barachìn we shared the great celebration of Terra Madre even with those who failed to come to the event. The experience was so positive that it does not end today, but will continue in the future: the restaurateurs with whom we have collaborated have in fact already expressed the will to repeat the experience ».
The curtain falls on the event, but it does not end here: «We are at the end of the event and at the beginning of the Food for Change campaign. And this is possible thanks to the magic that is recreated during Terra Madre: different peoples who meet, exchange experiences, advice and forge bonds and friendships. It is this entirely Italian idea that inspires the whole world, recognizing that food gives an immense sense of joy, returning importance to the individual ingredients. Terra Madre means seeing Israeli and Lebanese chefs cooking together, Russian and US delegates discussing a common future, where food is the solution; it is listening to South African and Icelandic farmers who exchange advice on the best food for their chickens, "adds Richard McCarthy, executive director of Slow Food USA, presenting Food for Change, the new Slow Food campaign.
Food for Change focuses on the relationship between food and climate change. With this initiative, Slow Food brings together the global network to invite everyone to reflect and change even slightly those habits that added up have a heavy negative impact on the planet. The first challenge is from 16 to 22 October: "a week without waste but full of joy", continues McCarthy.
"Activism towards climate change cannot wait; it is a problem that goes beyond any border. Each of us can do our part by choosing between sustainable and non-sustainable consumption. Everyone can play their part through the Food for Change campaign, "adds Francesco Sottile of the Slow Food Italy Executive Committee.
Instead, Alice Waters, vice president of Slow Food, shared her plan for the future of California school canteens. «We want to provide a sustainable and free school meal for all children in California from primary to middle school, buying food for schools directly from those who cultivate the land and raise animals. This will not only be an engine of change but it will also provide nutritious meals for all children ".
Then there was Matteo Baronetto, chef at the Del Cambio restaurant, who recalled: «My grandparents were farmers, so the Food for Change campaign is a cultural factor that I feel in my soul. I'm just a cook but today I feel a strong responsibility in educating the clients and the guys who work with me ».
«At a global level, food production is responsible for one fifth of greenhouse gas emissions (21%): a number that largely depends on production methods that have lost all contact with nature and respect for the environment. That is why aid and support should go to more natural agricultural models, while today 62,5 billions of European and Italian funds for agriculture, only 1,8 billion, which correspond to less than 3% of total resources, are destined for agriculture biological. The remaining part goes to financing agricultural models based on the use of fertilizers and pesticides »continues McCarthy. «Let's not forget that if food is the cause of climate change, it is also the solution. This is why it is essential that we all engage in Food for Change. To get great results it takes little, it is enough to slightly change our eating habits ».
