On December 10, Slow Food marked the 14th annual Terra Madre Day, aimed at promoting the diversity of food traditions around the world. During this special day, the Slow Food global network is invited to organize local events and actions to celebrate good, clean, and fair food for all.

In past years, Slow Food Chapters worldwide have organized tastings, dinners, film screenings, and workshops in conjunction with Terra Madre Day. In Jakarta, Indonesia, for example, one group hosted a “Feast in the Forest” celebration that included foraging for wild herbs and a community lunch. Slow Food Manila, in the Philippines, celebrated Terra Madre Day with a gathering of “farmers, producers, cooks, chefs, artisans, food activists, and people who love food,” who came together to enjoy a potluck picnic of colorful dishes made with local grains and edible flowers. In Bulgaria, Slow Food members organized an event focused on different local varieties of apples, such as the Kurtovka and the Buhavitza, which are both on board the Ark of Taste.

This year’s Terra Madre Day theme was “Regeneration,” aimed at encouraging us to consider the many ways we can help restore our ecosystems, our communities, and our health through food. To help inspire thought and change, Slow Food created a “Tool Kit” packed with ideas and links to further information.

The Regeneration theme has three pillars:

EAT: Which offers ideas that include eating seasonally, with an eye to biodiversity, and consuming food you grow yourself

LEARN: Which provides tips about how to read food labels, getting creative with food waste, and finding out more about the welfare of the people who grow our food

ACT:  Which includes “raising our voices together to put pressure on politicians to enact fairer, more sustainable food and farming policies.”

For an update on some of the recent global events celebrating Terra Madre Day 2023, search on your social media channels for #TerraMadreDay and #SlowFood.

While Terra Madre Day 2023 has passed, the Regeneration Tool Kit remains available and is a great resource for helping you solidify your commitment to the principles of Slow Food.

Other ways to get involved:

Sign up for one of the Slow Food Newsletters here: https://www.slowfood.com/newsletters/

If you are not already a member of your local Slow Food chapter, you can sign up here:

https://connect.clickandpledge.com/w/Form/b3936e08-ec22-4f58-a3bd-2de1e3ec44da

Finally, consider donating to Slow Food! Even a small contribution will help support our work to build back stronger relationships and communities, through food.

—Eils Lotozo