FFN at Slow Food – Terra Madre 2010

Fair Food Network’s President Oran Hesterman was a delegate and presenter at the Slow Food International “Terra Madre” Conference in Torino, Italy October 21-24, 2010.

About 7,000 people representing 160 countries gathered on Thursday for the Opening Ceremonies filling the huge arena with flags, music, and inspirational addresses from leaders like Carlo Petrini, Slow Foods International President and FFN Advisory Board Member. 

This international conference brought together food systems activists, sustainable food producers, educators, farmers, cooks, and others interested in developing a food system that is “good, clean, and fair.”

Oran presented a “Food Justice” workshop on Saturday to an overflow group of U.S delegates. The workshop explored some successful community-based models that are creating a more fair food system.  In addition, it offered participants an opportunity to consider how Slow Food USA could collectively support public policy to help more people  access good, clean, food, especially in historically excluded communities.

At Terra Madre, delegates shared their work, stories, and traditions as well as their creative solutions for keeping sustainable agriculture and food production viable and thriving.  The Salone del Gusto, housed immediately adjacent to the conference center and held concurrently, is the world’s largest artisanal food marketplace and is a delicious example of how smaller scale producers of sustainable products can market successfully.

Terra Madre is an international network of food producers, cooks, educators and students from 150 countries who are united by a common goal of global sustainability in food. The "food communities" of Terra Madre come together biennially to share innovative solutions and time-honored traditions for keeping small-scale agriculture and sustainable food production alive and well.

Related links:

Slow Food International: www.slowfood.com
Terra Madre: www.terramadre.org