Terra Madre is a network of food communities. Terra Madre network was launched by the Slow Food grass roots organization, and the intent is to provide small-scale farmers, breeders, fishers and food artisans whose approach to food production protects the environment and communities. The network brings them together with academics, cooks, consumers and youth groups so that they can join forces in working to improve the

food system The term food system describes the interconnected systems and processes that influence nutrition, food, health, community development, and agriculture. A food system includes all processes and infrastructure involved in feeding a population: growi ...

. The Terra Madre network holds a major biennial conference which are held in

Torino, Italy Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

intended to foster discussion and introduce innovative concepts in the field of food,

gastronomy Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between Human food, food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well ver ...

globalization Globalization is the process of increasing interdependence and integration among the economies, markets, societies, and cultures of different countries worldwide. This is made possible by the reduction of barriers to international trade, th ...

economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

. The first of these conferences was held in 2004. The national and regional Terra Madre work closely with the Slow Food convivia to increase the capacity of local communities to provide good, clean and fair food. The Terra Madre Foundation was created to conceive, finance and organize international gatherings and other emerging projects, to assure the continuity of Mother Earth. The founding members of the Terra Madre Foundation include: *The Italian

Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests (), or MASAF, is an Italian government department. It was formed in 1946 as the Ministero dell'Agricoltura e delle Foreste ("Ministry of Agriculture and Forests"), and following the refe ...

*The Development Cooperation of the

Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation ( or ''MAECI'') is the foreign ministry of the government of the Italian Republic. It is also known as the Farnesina as a metonym from its headquarters, the Palazzo della Farnesina ...

*Piedmont Regional Authority *The City of Turin *Slow Food

History

The first Terra Madre conference took place in Turin in 2004 and was attended by 5,000 delegates from over 130 countries. The program included 61 Earth Workshops. The Torino (Turin) Terra Madre conference convenes every two years in the fall. In October 2006 (October 26 to October 30), Terra Madre drew over 9,000 participants. Terra Madre 2006 focused on the relationships between food communities, cooks, universities and scientists.

Terra Madre conferences

The format of Terra Madre is deliberately international, with presenters speaking in their

native language A first language (L1), native language, native tongue, or mother tongue is the first language a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period hypothesis, critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' ...

s. Participants wear

headsets Headset may refer to: * Headset (audio), audio headphone(s), particularly with an attached microphone * Head Set (band), an American alternative rock band * Headset (bicycle part), a bicycle part that connects the fork to the frame * Head-mounted ...

which relay simultaneous translation. Admission to the event is charged to attendees.

Topics

Terra Madre seminars are intended to focus on topics such as opposing

genetically modified foods Genetically modified foods (GM foods), also known as genetically engineered foods (GE foods), or bioengineered foods are foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using various methods of genetic engineering. G ...

(GM), the development of

organic food Organic food, also known as ecological or biological food, refers to foods and beverages produced using methods that comply with the standards of organic farming. Standards vary worldwide, but organic farming features practices that cycle resou ...

sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

water rights Water right in water law is the right of a user to use water from a water source, e.g., a river, stream, pond or source of groundwater. In areas with plentiful water and few users, such systems are generally not complicated or contentious. In o ...

, and the impact of

on traditional

food culture The sociology of food is the study of food and how it relates to the history, progression, and future development of society. Studies includes the production and consumption of food as well as its medical, spiritual and ethical applications. ...

References

External links

Official website
(in Italian, English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Japanese, Russian)
Cifor.cgiar.orgEau.sagepub.comVitaminrelief.org
{{Authority control Rural community development Slow Food Italian food- and drink-related organisations