47 Kenyans were part of the delegates that celebrated the fourth Terra Madre and the eighth
Salone del Gusto, Slow Food’s biennial food festival that showcases quality, small-scale producers
from around the world, that attracted a record 200,000 visitors to Turin with around 30% coming
from outside of Italy.
In addition to displaying the quality food, the international market had a strong educational focus,
with emphasis on raising awareness and stimulating debate about the future of food production.
A major focus was to present foods which are at risk of extinction, such as Mau Stinging nettle from
Kenya, Ethiopian mountain honeys, Brazilian Baru nut and Indonesian pepper, and this year
around one third of the stalls were allocated to 182 Italian and 106 international
Slow Food Presidia – projects to support small-scale, traditional food production –
who also participate in the Terra Madre meeting.
To highlight the numerous and diverse regions coming together in these two events,
and the importance of territory in producing quality foods, the theme of this year’s
Salone was “Food+/=Places”. Thus, the exhibition was organized by grouping producers by
region rather than by food category, with each region or country presenting its own products,
projects and cuisine.
The Salone del Gusto together with Terra Madre has been confirmed as one of the most important
events in the region of national and international significance. With its 200,000 visitors,
it contributes in an important way to the tourism and commercial activities of this region
and at the same time has the capacity and authority to inspire a profound reflection on food
and the global community it represents.
