Terra Madre in Turin from 8 to 12 October, will be divided by "environments"

For the 2020 edition, Slow Food It offers a new geography that focuses on ecosystems, with their fragility and the possible concrete solutions that the network is already experimenting from one corner of the world to another. In this historical phase in which nationalisms re-emerge and walls and barbed wire make their appearance again, Terra Madre Salone del Gusto presents a new approach to its biennial appointment and organize the space and visit routes in homogeneous territories, pushing political boundaries to the background in order to favor physical, ecological and cultural elements. Therefore, no longer the classic subdivision between the exhibitors of the Italian and international market (and internally for individual regions and countries), but a visit path that will accompany the public to explore a new food geography:

 le mountain and hilly areas, with their products and projects for the care of the territory

• le coastal and inland water communities, committed to the protection of seas, rivers, lakes, sustainable fishing and the fight against pollution
• il urban fabric and its relationship with the countryside through vegetable gardens, farmers markets and buying groups
• le lowlands, where agroecology is proposed as a system to combat monoculture, desertification and deforestation.

 The four areas will bring together delegates and exhibitors from the Alps to the Andes, from the North Seas to the great European rivers, from nascent villages Slow Food to creative cities, from the Po Valley to the African savannah.

The debate and exchange between the delegates during the event will be enriched by the requests that Slow Food will bring into discussion within his VIII International Congress which will meet in Turin on the same days as Terra Madre Salone del Gusto. 

And it is precisely in view of this last appointment that in these days it will be sent to the whole network Slow Food around the world the opening document of the congress path: a real call to action for members, activists, leaders, volunteers from every corner of the planet.

«The greatest strength of an event like Terra Madre Salone del Gusto is authenticity» underlines the President of the Piedmont Region, Alberto Cirio. «A value that we are called to promote and protect as a key to the future not only of agriculture, but in general of the life of our countries. That same authenticity that is breathed passing the entrance of an event of which we are deeply proud and capable of bringing the whole world under the sky of Piedmont ».

«Terra Madre Salone del Gusto is a tangible and intangible heritage of the City of Turin that we can only be proud of. The food and wine excellence that has always characterized our city, in fact, is only one of the points of contact with this event of international importance. Indeed, the values ​​of sustainability, social justice, and equity which, precisely in food - in its production, processing, distribution, consumption - can find the maximum expression, will make the difference more and more. I am sure that, once again, Terra Madre Salone del Gusto will be an extraordinary moment of discovery and reflection for the whole community, "she says Chiara Appendino, mayor of the City of Turin.

«Food plays a central role in the environmental and climatic crisis we are experiencing. The model of agri-food production, distribution and consumption that we choose can be the key to responding to the great challenge of implementing change within the next 10 years, as the United Nations first recall. In this context, building the future of food together means building the future of the planet together. For this reason, the next edition of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto will be an extraordinary event, perhaps the most important of all those celebrated so far »declares Paul DiCroce, general secretary of Slow Food.

In 2018 Terra Madre-Salone del Gusto had seen 220 thousand visitors, 7000 delegates from 150 countries, 1000 exhibitors from 83 countries of which 150 Presidia Slow Food from all over Italy and 103 Presidia Slow Food from 42 countries, 50 Italian and 20 international institutions. Among others, 1000 young people participated as delegates, 230 representatives of migrant communities from all over Italy, 340 representatives of indigenous peoples, 350 teachers and 150 cooks from five continents. Without ever forgetting the 1000 volunteers who make possible the realization of each edition. The event was also experienced throughout Piedmont thanks to the 120 cities of Terra Madre which hosted over 1600 delegates and 4000 Barachin thanks to which the great Terra Madre celebration was shared even with those who failed to be present.