Every two years, people from around the world gather in Turin, Italy, for an event like no other. Chefs, small producers, artisans, fisherman, youth and community activists converge, bringing with them foods found only in their small corners of the world. You may find fish sourced from the coast of the Philippines sitting next to wine produced at a Georgian vineyard. The sights, smells and tastes mix together in a way that seduces the palate.
This is Terra Madre, a meeting ground for members of Slow Food International.
Slow Food, as a whole, aims to reclaim access to local foods, to nurture the idea of consuming local food together and to ensure all people have access to high-quality foods. Terra Madre is just one component of this bigger network, which includes parallel events Salone del Gusto and The Ark of Taste (to preserve nearly forgotten foods) and hundreds of convivia around the globe that host local events.
Ensuring people can get to Terra Madre is a priority for the organizers. For those who fly in for the four-day event, Terra Madre provides four nights of lodging, three meals per day, a shuttle service, and transportation to and from the airport.
“It has been, for me, one of the most inclusive events I’ve ever been to—most inclusive, most diverse, most democratic,” says Jim Embry, a community activist in Lexington, Ky., and Terra Madre delegate. “This organization believes in the sense of Earth’s diversity.”
Watch the video above as Embry tells more about the Terra Madre experience.
