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March 2010

   
 

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In this edition:
 


Editorial

By Carlo Petrini

Slow Food Key Words
Taste Education

From Land to Table...
Terra Madre 2010
Cultures and indigenous languages at the fourth world meeting of the network

Profiling Producers
Small-scale farmers, brewers, bakers and cheesemakers captured on film in the UK

An Apple a Day
Year of the Heirloom Apple in America and Slow Pickings in Australia

Label Detectives
A credit-card sized magnifying glass for reading food labels in Turkey


Celebrating Forest Preserves
Siberian children reconnect with traditional foods prepared for the winter pantry


Slow Food in the Canteen
A city school canteen is transformed in Denmark


From Pond to Pan
Slow Food Hong Kong educates about sustainable fish


Voices from Terra Madre
Nutrition through Tradition
Emmy Adisah Otwombe is a nutritionist who works to promote traditional healthy foods in Kenya

Food Traditions
Argan Oil on Screen
A new DVD educates Argan Oil producers in Morocco

Food for Thought
GMO Struggles
From Mexico to Brussels, Slow Food protests against the introduction of GMO crops

In Print, On Screen
Blue Gold: World Water Wars

The Water Harvester


Voices from the Waters 2010

The 5th International Film Festival on Water

Farmed Salmon Exposed

Calendar

 
     



Slow Food
key words
 

Taste Education
Taste Education was developed by Slow Food to help people to make daily choices about food with awareness and responsibility, allowing the consumer to become an active part of the change process by choosing good, clean and fair food – a coproducer. Our approach to food education is based on the reawakening and training of the senses and the study of all aspects of food – from farm to fork. It is based on the idea that food means culture, conviviality and pleasure, and the act of eating can influence values, attitudes and emotions. Taste Education projects are organized at all levels and for everyone, from children and teachers to members and event-goers, and are often organized at the local level by Slow Food convivia.

Click here for more information
 
< Return to Index >

From Land to Table...


Terra Madre 2010
Cultures and indigenous languages at the fourth world meeting of the network

More than 5,000 representatives from the worldwide Terra Madre network will meet in Turin, Italy for the fourth time this October 21 to 25 - coinciding once again with the international Slow Food fair Salone del Gusto. The five-day meeting will bring together food communities, cooks, academics, youth and musicians from all over the world, who are united in a desire to promote sustainable local food production in harmony with the environment while respecting knowledge handed down over the generations.

A new feature in 2010 will be a focus on cultural and linguistic diversities - in recognition of the need to defend minority ethnic groups and indigenous languages, and with an appreciation of the value of oral traditions and memory. At the opening ceremony, representatives of indigenous communities from all continents across the world will speak to the audience in their native languages.

The second day will be dedicated to examining eight crucial issues for the future of agriculture and the planet (from biodiversity to renewable energies and education to traditional knowledge). On the third day communities will meet in national and regional sessions, while on the fourth day Earth Workshops will be held.

The official closing session of Terra Madre will be marked by the presentation of a program of proposals from the Terra Madre network for a sustainable future.

There will be specific opportunities during the event to receive information, to present projects involving taste education (gardens, canteen projects etc.) or food biodiversity (Presidia and Earth Markets) and to organize Terra Madre Day in your community or country - with the second edition to be held on December 10, 2010 around the world. The Terra Madre youth network will play an important role during the event.

For Terra Madre information and updates: www.terramadre.org

< Return to Index >


Profiling Producers
Slow Food UK captures small-scale farmers, cider brewers, bakers and cheesemakers on film   

United Kingdom - “We started our Profiling Producers Project in the highest corner of the United Kingdom, in Inverness, and worked our way down to Edinburgh and Glasgow, visiting farmers and producers who are working to make Slow Food’s philosophy reality in their region. I was introduced to my first herd of Highland cattle, the cheese-making process, and had my first sip of single malt Scotch whisky. I was shown what a true head of lettuce and tomato should taste like and received a fascinating education on the varieties and history of apples. On reaching England my first adventure was at a Devon farm where the cattle grazed freely. In Somerset, the convivium leader conveyed her vast knowledge of bread-making and food to me, before I went onto Lincolnshire where I was introduced to black and silver turkeys and a thriving vegetable box scheme at the Woodlands Farm. I met various bakers and millers, tasted Perry, and visited an eco conference centre in Berkshire. The producers were all extremely hospitable and imparted a love of the land and food that was inestimable. I hope you enjoy these videos."

Clover Lalehzar
cloverlalehzar@hotmail.com

To view the video profiles of all the producers visited during the project, visit Slow Food UK

< Return to Index >


An Apple a Day
Working to restore diversity with the Year of the Heirloom Apple in America

USA – Americans once grew and ate some 15,000 to 16,000 apple varieties, but today Red Delicious comprises 41% of the nation’s apple crop and just eleven varieties make up 90% of all apples sold in grocery stores. With roughly nine out of ten apple varieties historically grown in the U.S. at risk of disappearing completely from the nation’s orchards and kitchens, the Renewing America's Food Traditions (RAFT) Alliance has decided to take action and celebrate 2010 as the Year of the Heirloom Apple.

The RAFT group of food, farming, environmental and culinary advocates, managed by Slow Food USA, is working to compile the first national strategy for saving and restoring heirloom apple varieties. The proposal is for 90 endangered apple varieties to be identified in each region to be promoted to orchards, cider producers, restaurants and kitchens in order to revitalize the nation’s once strong “apple culture”. This project is part of RAFT’s efforts to preserve and promote old and unusual food varieties and breeds across the country.

Click here to download RAFT’s newly released Forgotten Fruits Manual & Manifesto – Apples, compiled and edited by Gary Paul Nabhan; introduction by Ben Watson.

Read more about this issue Slow Food USA website: www.slowfoodusa.org


Slow Pickings

Australia – Meanwhile, the Picking slow fruit campaign is asking Australians to capture images and information about historic fruit and nut trees and orchards in order to create a national register of heirloom fruits. Interested people are asked to photograph the tree or orchards in question, and complete an information form with as much information as they can discover about the tree/orchard, variety and fruiting season. A photographic competition is also being held as part of the project, with an award for the best shots of trees and fruit in each state or territory, and across the nation.

For more information please email: slow.fruit@slowfoodaustralia.com.au

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Label Detectives
A credit-card sized magnifying glass for reading food labels in Turkey

Turkey–Thousands of Istanbul’s residents are now carrying around a "Label Detective" card in their wallet thanks to a new initiative of Slow Food Fikir Sahibi Damaklar designed to make it easier for consumers to read the tiny print on food packaging. Members of the convivium handed out around 5,000 mini-magnifying glasses before and after two packed screenings of Food, Inc. at the !f International Independent Film Festival, along with an information leaflet on choosing “real” food.

Following their recent campaigning to ban GMOs in Turkey, convivium leader Defne Koryürek said, "we realized it is not only the GMOs that consumers need to be aware of, it's the whole line of production. Most food labels in Turkey are unreadable. We wanted to raise awareness that there is a list of ingredients on each and every product, that producers are trying to hide them, and that so many things we do not use in an ordinary kitchen are in these foods.”

The convivium is also working to promote awareness of these issues from an early age. In one program, children are taught how to bake bread and then visit stores to search for healthy bread that has been made using only the natural ingredients that they used in the production of their own loaves.

For more information:

Defne Koryürek
Slow Food Fikir Sahibi Damaklar
dkoryurek@gmail.com

< Return to Index >


Celebrating Forest Preserves
Siberian children reconnect with traditional foods prepared for the winter pantry…

Russia - In the mountainous territory of Gornaya Shoria in southern Siberia, the villagers forage berries, more than 60 types of mushrooms, pine nuts and other produce from the forests, and use the harvest to prepare preserves for the long winter. Working together in groups to gather and process the fruits, communities would traditionally produce a wide range preserves according to the season. However, this is occurring less today as more and more families are attracted to the easy option of mass-produced products.

To reconnect local children to this rich tradition and celebrate the foods tied to their landscape and culture, the Terra Madre food community of Shoria Preserves Producers organized a children's “Jam Day” earlier this year in the village of Kameshek. The children tasted various preserves, sang traditional Russian songs, and enjoyed games and a blind jam-tasting contest.

“Following the success of the day, the community is hoping to repeat the activity and to share the results with communities around the world,” said project coordinator Elena Malyavko. “We sincerely believe that just as a farmer throwing seeds into the ground will see new growth, by educating young children about the importance of these issues we can help ensure they are careful about retaining their own traditions as adults. Furthermore, by connecting these children with other children involved in similar projects around the world, they will develop a sense of the special features of their region, and develop a genuine interest in solving global problems”.

Any communities or convivia who are undertaking similar projects and would like to build a relationship with this project in Siberia are invited to contact Elena.

Elena Malyavko
Shoria Preserves Producers food community
ecolist@mail.ru

< Return to Index >


Slow Food in the Canteen
A city school canteen is transformed in Denmark

Denmark - Last December the Klostervaegts School, located in an area of Copenhagen with one of the highest densities of foreign residents, initiated a project to bring good, clean and fair food to the school canteen. The project now involves around 160 students (out of a total of 250 at the school) from 6 to 14 years old, with children from each class taking turns to prepare the daily lunch menu - helping to cook, serve, and clean up after the meal. Through being involved in the preparation of dishes from raw ingredients, which are all organically grown and locally sourced, students learn about the origin of the foods and learn to avoid wasting ingredients. In order to attract the student’s interest, the canteen lunches were provided free of charge for the first two months and many pupils now continue to choose the canteen on a payment basis.

The program, introduced by young cook and Copenhagen convivium member Amalie Ørsted, is now part of a larger project run by Madhus (Food House) in Copenhagen, a body funded by the local authority to improve the quality of food in schools and raise young people’s awareness of food choices. The success of the project has been noted in the region, and it is already being replicated in similar projects in six schools.

Contacts:
Amalie Ørsted
malle61@hotmail.com
Katrine Klinken
katrine@klinken.dk
Convivium SF Copenhagen

< Return to Index >


From Pond to Pan
Slow Food Hong Kong educates about sustainable fish


Denmark - “Strolling though the fish and seafood markets in Hong Kong is a feast for the senses. Stallholders in waterproof aprons and rubber boots sell their fresh-off-the-boat catch, yelling out to passers-by who may well get splashed by a wriggling red mullet. However, while the vast majority of the catch is from local waters, traditionally the sustainability of fish stocks has never been a priority. Given the deteriorating situation of our seas, our convivium has decided to dedicate our annual program of activities and events to a Slow Fish campaign in 2010. To begin, we held an educational dinner at one of the growing number of Hong Kong restaurants that are becoming concerned about serving sustainable seafood. Our members enjoyed both traditional and modern seafood recipes, with the chefs basing their choices on a local sustainable seafood guide.

Our campaign activities also include popular family outings to a freshwater fishpond site, where fish are raised using ecologically friendly aquaculture methods. During the day, parents and children experience a traditional net-harvest, and follow the fresh catch through all stages: from the pond to the plate. The day is very educational for the parents as well, who learn about small-scale organic fish farming and some of the massive problems that exist with conventional approaches to aquaculture.”

Slow Food Hong Kong is currently looking for partners to aid in their education work. Email Annabel for more information.

Annabel Jackson
Slow Food Hong Kong Convivium Leader
annabel.jackson@gmail.com

< Return to Index >


Voices from Terra Madre

Nutrition through Tradition
Emmy Adisah Otwombe is a nutritionist who works to promote traditional healthy foods in Kenya. She talks to us about her work and motivation and her experience at a global Terra Madre gathering...

 

Kenya – My work spans twenty districts in Kenya's Eastern Province. I travel across this area providing training in a number of food-related issues, particularly in establishing kitchen gardens, working with gender issues in agriculture, and promoting traditional healthy Kenyan foods. I work mostly with farming communities, women’s groups and young people from schools or who are involved in agriculture.

Together with community members and agricultural outreach officers, I develop and promote recipes based upon local and traditional foods and encourage their use amongst farmers and communities, as well as hotels and catering services. I have also written manuals on the utilization of these foods for local officers and farmers.

 
     
  Click here to read Emmy’s full story on the Terra Madre website.

Emmy Adisah Otwombe
addisah2004@yahoo.com

 

< Return to Index >


Food Traditions

Argan Oil on Screen 
A new DVD educates Argan Oil producers in Morocco   

Morocco – Using new tools to reinforce old traditions, a DVD was produced earlier this year in the Amazigh language, the main language spoken by argan oil producers, to help train and educate women's cooperatives involved in the oil's production. Produced by the Argan Oil Presidium founder Zoubida Charrouf in collaboration with the Ibn Al Baytar Association, the production is part of a wider education project aiming to improve literacy among the women's cooperatives and encourages the Presidium’s goals to protect the endemic argan tree as well as encourage oil producers to adhere to traditional practices.

Featuring a number of talented Amazigh artists of the region, the DVD covers information on production techniques, environmental issues, the importance of the protected geographical indication for argan, and marketing and promotion of the products. An additional Amazigh language DVD on argan oil tasting will soon be released by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity as part of the Argan Oil Presidium project supported by the Piedmont Region of Italy.

For more information:
Zoubida Charrouf
zcharrouf@menara.ma

Click here for more information on the Argan Oil Presidium.

A Recipe from The Gold of Arganeraie: 33 Moroccan recipes based on argan oil

Chermoula
Choumicha Acharki

2 cloves garlic
1 bunch parsley
4 tablespoons coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
8 tablespoons argan oil
4 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation time: 1⁄4 hour

Chop up the cloves of garlic, coriander and parsley. Put the chopped mixture in a dish. Add the argan oil, vinegar, salt and all the spices (cumin, paprika, pepper). Mix carefully.

Chermoula is a typical Moroccan sauce mainly served with grilled fish. It also goes well with other dishes due to its harmonious blend of flavors and aromas. It only takes 15 minutes to prepare and can be kept up to two weeks in a refrigerator.

The Gold of Arganeraie: 33 Moroccan recipes based on argan oil is produced by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity with the support of the Piedmont region of Italy.

< Return to Index >


Food for Thought

GMO Struggles
From Mexico to Brussels, Slow Food protests against the introduction of GMO crops

Belgium – The decision this month to approve a genetically modified (GM) potato to be grown on a commercial scale in the EU, the first such decision for 12 years, sparked protest among environmentalists, consumers and farmers, with Slow Food among the organizations speaking up against the decision. The potato, developed by BASF to contain a higher percentage of starch, was approved by EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli, and is expected to be mainly grown in Germany, with authorization for use in animal feed. "It is very serious,” commented Carlo Petrini, president of Slow Food International, “that this commissioner’s first action is to break an indisputable moratorium introduced precisely out of concern for our health. This demonstrates how the issue is being decided on the basis of the economic interests of the multinationals, without taking into consideration the as-yet unknown dangers to public health.

Click here to read Ten Reasons to Oppose GMOs by Carlo Petrini.

Campaign group Avvaz.org has launched an online petition to collect one million voices for a ban on GM foods until independent research is done. EU citizens can click here to add their name.


Mexico - The EU's decision followed a ruling in Mexico last month that gave private companies the go ahead for the first legal plantings of GM corn following a decade-long battle. Opponents are concerned that modified genes could spread and contaminate genetically valuable native varieties. The Slow Food Tehuacán Mixteca Popoloca Convivium have launched a campaign to protect traditional varieties of maize, with an aim to educate family and farmer organizations about the richness of their country's biodiversity, encouraging the Mexican community to be proud of their cultural heritage and to work for its revitalization. In addition, they wish to alert government and policy makers to the severe impact that this decision will have on the life of Mexican farmers.

Click here to read the full article.

India – In a significant period worldwide for GM opponents, a new law has been proposed in India that could land citizens in jail for criticizing GM products. The law, proposed by the country's Ministry of Science and Technology, would imprison any Indian citizen who questions the safety of any GM food or medicine for a minimum period of six months. The Bill has come under attack by several civil society activists. "This is a gag order, absolutely draconian and in violation of the Indian constitution which guarantees the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression," said Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan. The proposal comes at a time when heated debate has consumed the country over the proposed introduction of India's first GM food, Bt brinjal eggplant, whose introduction was stalled by environment minister Jairam Ramesh until further testing is undertaken.

Click here to read the full article.

< Return to Index >


In Print, On Screen

On March 22 the United Nation's World Water Day drew international attention to the importance of fresh water and advocated for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. As part of this celebratory day of action, we have selected a range of books and films that offer an insight into the complexity of issues that surround this essential resource.

Blue Gold: World Water Wars


Blue Gold, a powerful book and film of the same name, documents the rise of a rapidly proliferating enterprise enabled by recent international trade agreements: the privatization and commodification of water. This documentary exposes the unsettling truth of how transnational corporations are laying claim to the world's dwindling fresh water supply.

Blue Gold: World Water Wars, Maude Barlow & Tony Clarke

Click here for more information on the book (available in 16 languages and 47 countries) and film or to purchase.

< Return to Index >


The Water Harvester


Zvishavane in southern Zimbabwe is an arid terrain where small-scale farmers struggle with fragile soils and erratic rainfall, and water is a supremely precious natural resource. Yet it was here that peasant farmer Zephaniah Phiri had the wisdom, vision and strength of character to transform a resource-starved subsistence plot into a fertile smallholding. This book is his true story. More than a simple environmental story, The Water Harvester reveals the survival strategies and character of a man with immense courage, wisdom and generosity.

The Water Harvester, Mary Witoshynsky, Weaver Press, 2000.

Click here for more information.

< Return to Index >


Voices from the Waters 2010: The 5th International Film Festival on Water


The fifth edition of the largest international film festival on water is currently calling for contributions on films on water and related issues. To be held in September in Bangladore, India, Voices of the Waters showcases handpicked films that deal with the many dimensions of the water crisis.

Click here for more information.

A large selection of films which deal with various environmental, social and food issues around water can be found here on the Environmental Film Festival site.

< Return to Index >

Farmed Salmon Exposed


Canadian filmmaker Damien Gillis provides a shocking exposé of the environmental and social devastation inflicted by the Norwegian salmon farming industry around the world. Released as part of the Pure Salmon Campaign's Global Week of Action, the documentary is now available online.

Click here to view.

< Return to Index >
   


 

It is an important moment for the future of agriculture - and therefore for the future of our planet. We seem to have reached the final stages of a battle that has gone on for years and which will decide the fate of the war. On one side are the multinational companies with their seeds and agricultural chemicals, accompanied by powerful lobbies trying to influence governments, markets and unions. On the other side are citizens, organic and biodynamic farmers, as well as conventional farmers using chemicals in a legal and sensible way. They are joined by consumers who do not see any earthly reason why they should abandon well-known food products they can identify with and trust for new foods they did not ask for and which have not been sufficiently trialed. And this is our first warning: since when does food have to be tested? These new products are also to a large extent unnecessary, as well as potentially harmful for our health and the environment.

Ignoring the opinions of citizens and sustainable farmers, Europe has given the go ahead to the commercial growing of genetically modified crops. But at the same time they have given member countries the right of veto within their own borders. A number of European countries, including Italy, have said no to GMOs, and we hope others will also do so soon.

We need to summon up our patience, cleverness and control. The next two or three years will be decisive: there will be increasingly strong pressures, increasingly rapid maneuvers, and increasingly antidemocratic decisions. We must be vigilant and not let down our guard: The role of everyone who cares for our planet has never been so crucial.

Carlo Petrini
President of Slow Food International

 

Slow Food is working to help communities around the world to rebuild their local food systems in order to eat better, protect the environment and maintain cultural diversity. Help us further these concrete solutions for change.


Join a worldwide

community that defends sustainable agriculture, fishing and breeding. Celebrate the pleasure of food traditions and quality foods around the world.
servicecentre
@slowfood.com

 
       
 
 


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CALENDAR

Markt Des Guten Geschmacks
Stuttgart, Germany
April 15 – 18, 2010

Grandmothers’ Day
International
April 25, 2010

Burren Slow Food Festival
Ireland
May 21 – 23, 2010

Terra Madre Argentina
Buenos Airies, Argentina
July 8-11, 2010

Terra Madre Balkans
Sofia, Bulgaria
July 8-10, 2010

Janecka Vecer
Mavrovo National Park, Macedonia
July 26 - 27 2010

Salone del Gusto
Turin, Italy
October 21 -25, 2010

Terra Madre
Turin, Italy
October 21 -25, 2010

Terra Madre Day
International
December 10, 2010

 


 

Slow Food Almanac

The Slow Food Almanac 2008 can be viewed in electronic format here.



 


 
Slow Food and
Terra Madre
in figures


Members: 100,000
Convivia: 1,300
Countries: 150
Presidia: 314
Ark of Taste products: 903
Earth Markets: 10
School gardens: 300


 

 
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  This newsletter is produced by the Slow Food Internation Communication' office
 Bess Mucke: b.mucke@slowfood.com -  Michèle Mesmain: m.mesmain@slowfood.com
For all membership questions, please contact the International Service Centre servicecentre@slowfood.com
To unsuscribe, please send a mail to communication@slowfood.com with "unsubscribe" as a subject.

 

 

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