Source: http://www.salonedelgusto.com/en/food-and-politics-the-conferences-and-terra-madre-forums/
Eleven Conferences at the Carignano Theater, one of the most beautiful opera houses in Italy and a symbolic location in Turin, and 40 Forums of the Terra Madre Network in the rooms of Valentino Castle (Turin Polytechnic) and Torino Esposizioni (University of Turin). Today another important part of the program goes online, with over 50 different occasions to explore the theme of “loving the earth” from different points of view and discover how food can change the planet, for better or worse.
Slow Food has always looked at the world of food from a holistic perspective, aware that talking about gastronomy means talking about politics, that our choices, be they individual or collective, have an impact on our health, the environment, the economy, and society as a whole.
Every event organized by Slow Food shows how food is an important means of analyzing and interpreting the world, and the choices we make. To understand how deeply food is connected to politics, a key part of this year’s event is dedicated to meetings on the various aspects of the theme, theCONFERENCES AND THE Terra Madre Forums. If you’re coming to Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2016, read the program of and reserve your seats now! Here, we provide a brief panorama to help you navigate the wealth of opportunities on offer:
Control of the food system, from seed production to fertilizers and pesticides, will be at the center of the dialogue between Marion Nestle, globally-renowned expert in food politics, and José Bové, activist and Member of the European Parliament, in a meeting entitled: “THEY ARE GIANTS, BUT WE ARE MILLIONS”. Meanwhile, we’ll be focusing on agricultural practices able to promote diversity and protect natural resources in “CAN ACROECOLOGY FEED THE WORLD?” with Miguel Altieri, one of the most influential exponents of this applied science, and Yacouba Savadogo, the man who brought part of the Sahel back to life through the use of traditional techniques of cultivation. In another conference, the economists Serge Latouche, Eric Holt-Gimenez and Stefano Zamagni will debate the idea of sustainability and infinite growth in a world of finite resources in “ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE – AND NECESSARY”.
Across three more conferences, the directors of Turin’s most important museums will speak to artists and experts of international fame: in “EARTH SEEN FROM ABOVE AND THROUGH THE FACES OF HUMANITY”Alberto Barbera of the National Museum of Cinema will meet Yann Arthus-Bertrand, the director and photographer that has been filming the Earth from the sky and documenting humankind’s impact for over 30 years; in “OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EARTH THROUGH CONTEMPORARY ART” Carolyn Christov Bakargiev of the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art will converse with the Indian artist Amar Kanwar, exploring art’s capacity to recount the political transformations that affect the environment and the landscape; in “FOOD AND AGRICULTURE IN EGYPT, YESTERDAY AND TODAY” Christian Greco will lead a journey of discovery through one of the world’s oldest agricultural traditions, while sociologist and Egyptologist Malak Said Ahmed Rouchdy will discuss the predominant role of food in the crises that have recently afflicted the country.
It doesn’t stop there! With Alice Waters, Ronnie Finley and Edward Mukiibi we’ll talk about gardens, from the African countryside to the courtyards of American schools, and how they are triggering a REVOLUTION, and with four great chefs, namely Gastón Acurio, Michel Bras, Olivier Roellinger and Altin Prenga, we’ll be talking about WHEN CHEFS SIDE WITH FARMERS, and how they intepret their roles as spokespeople for culture, ecology and ethics. With Franco Berrino, Andrea Pezzana and Kathleen Sykes we’ll explore the impact OUR DAILY MEALS have on our health , and with the cartoonist Zerocalcare and Edward Loure, winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize, and other guests we’ll analyze the relationship between LAND, CONFLICT AND MIGRATION. There will also be conference (in Italian only) onFOOD AND AGRO-MAFIAS with Don Luigi Ciotti and Giancarlo Caselli, together with a theatrical show by Tiziana di Masi.
If that already seems like a lot, in the 40 Forums, designed as a space for sharing and exchange between the delegates of Terra Madre (open to the public while seats last on a first come, first served basis), we’ll deal with many more topics, such as the environmental impact of eating meat, the scarcity of drinking water, the consequences of monocultural (and often transgenic) agriculture, the value chains of cacao and coffee, the worlds of oils, cheeses and raw milk. Other unmissable appointments are on their way with the unveiling of the four themed spaces: Slow Fish, Let It Bee, Indigenous People and Migration.
Food is politics. Find out why at Terra Madre Salone del Gusto.
Each conference costs 5 euros for Slow Food members and 7 euros for non-members. Read more about each meeting, and book your place now. If you’re a Terra Madre delegate, entrance is free, providing that a reservation is made during the days of the event.
The Terra Madre Forums – a place for sharing and exchange between the delegates – are free and open to the public while seats last. Read the program, and make a note of what interests you most!