The fourth meeting of Terra Madre food communities, took place in Turin, Italy, 21-25 October 2010. From India 36 delegates visited Turrin, One of them was Ms.Rekha Lalla, Teacher, Salwan Public School.This international network brought together food producers, cooks, academics, youth and people working in the field of sustainable food production and consumption from153 countries.

The Terra Madre network was launched by Slow Food to give a voice and visibility to the small-scale farmers, breeders, fishers and food artisans around the world whose approach to food production protects the environment and communities. The network brings them together with academics, cooks, consumers and youth groups so that they can join forces in working to improve the food system.

The term food community refers to a group of these producers, defined by a place of origin and reflecting a new idea of ‘local economy’ based on food, agriculture, tradition and culture. More than 2,000 Terra Madre food communities have been formed around the world.

 Thefirst world meeting of Terra Madre food communities washed in 2004 in Italy, and brought together 5,000 producers from 130 countries. The second edition in 2006 grew to include participation from 1,000 cooks, aware of their important role in supporting local, quality production, as well as 400 researchers and academics, seeking to bridge the theory of their work with hands-on knowledge. In 2008, 1,000 young producers, cooks, students and activists from around the world joined the network to show their commitment to ensuring traditions and agricultural wisdom is handed from one generation to the next.

 National and regional Terra Madre networks have grown from the grassroots level and are working with Slow Food convivial to increase the capacity of local communities to provide good, clean and fair food. National Terra Madre meetings have been organized in many countries including Brazil, Sweden, Ireland, The Netherlands and Tanzania.

 A wide variety of activities at the local level focus on sharing information and promoting better approaches to food production: from a group of South American academics working to promote eco-agriculture to an exchange between Ugandan and Kenyan farming communities or a bicycle tour of local small-scale farms in Canada.

Through these activities to strengthen and defend local food cultures, the Terra Madre family is growing every day, making the Slow Food concept of good, clean, and fair reality.

Slow food is an idea, a way of  living and a way of eating food. It is a global grass root association of thousands of its members that links food .

Slow Food supports an innovative approach to taste education based on the reawakening and training of the senses and the study of all aspects of food: from field to fork.

 By understanding where our food comes from, how it was produced and by whom, adults and children can learn how to combine pleasure and responsibility in daily choices and appreciate the cultural and social importance of food. This education projects differ from most food education as they are based on the idea that food means pleasure, culture and conviviality.

Slow Food’s education activities take a wide range of approaches and are organized for varied audiences: children and adults, teachers, members and the public. They are an enjoyable and integral part of events and campaigns – from the international to the local level – and take countless forms: tours of local farms or producers, school gardens, guided tasting, knowledge exchange between older generations and young people, practical workshops and dinners with producers. 

By working with schools and local producers, organizing conferences with authors and experts, and introducing ‘good, clean and fair’ food education at community events, these projects increase awareness and bring food issues to people from all walks of life.