Terra Madre 2008

Bryanna Thiel (far right bottom photo) enjoys the world of slow food as a student representative at Terra Madre 2008, in Turin Italy.

Terra Madre Conference: Turin, Italy

My participation in the third bi-annual Terra Madre Conference was a huge success. I along with over 6000 other participants from 153 countries around the world gathered in Turin, Italy to exchange ideas with small-scale agriculture food activists. We discussed goals for a better world through the land and our food and the struggles we face to achieve these goals. We also were fortunate to share in the bounty of food that was offered through the Salone del Gusto, a public exhibition of gastronomic products that was held at the same time as our conference.

I participated in many activities at Terra Madre including educational workshops, taste sessions, lunch seminars and informal networking opportunities. One of the most interesting workshops I attended centered around developing a youth-oriented representative document for the UN Department of Sustainable Development policy makers. Hearing the diverging opinions of my peers from around the globe as a result of the different educations we received was very exciting. For instance, a friend from Egypt had been taught that Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are “the solution,” and are not viewed in a negative light as they are in Europe and North America.

Networking was a major activity at Terra Madre. I was glad to have shared accommodations with approximately 700 other young (under 30) people from around the world. Though there were eight official languages at the conference, communication was made possible through simultaneous interpretation which eased the socializing processes – everyone was eager to share their story and communicate in whatever means they could — often by sharing food.
UBC was a prominent subject in the conversations I had with the people I met. When I explained I was doing an interdisciplinary degree, a B.Sc. in Global Resource Systems with a resource major in Food Security and a region specialization of Europe, they were in awe that such a program was even available at my university. Many of the people I met are still working very diligently to secure administrative support for food related studies at their institutions. It was shocking to hear that so many other schools were so far behind the mark on food system sustainability, and this made me very proud to be a part of such a forward thinking community in the world of food academics. Further, when I shared about the resources we have on campus related to food security (Sprouts, Agora, Community Eats, The Student Kitchen Project, the UBC Farm, the Macmillan Garden, and the UBC Food Bank) people were envious. I am proud to be part of an academic community and city that puts such value on our food system. 

Terra Madre was inspirational. It is hard to describe the energy and emotion one feels in a stadium filled with over 6000 people who believe in one common goal – a sustainable and secure food system that depends on the diversity of the people of the world and a devotion to small-scale agriculture. Also, being a part of the initiation of the Youth Food Movement was equally as humbling. Any organization that has the foresight to bring farmers, chefs, academics, youth and politicians to convene will surely be successful in the years to come. I do believe that through collaboration and transparency we will be able to address climate change, preserve agricultural land and make sure our bodies and souls are filled via the food we eat. 

Thank you to the Faculty of Land and Food systems for affording me the opportunity to go to Italy. It is an experience I will never forget.

In partnership with FarmFolk/CityFolk, we are raising funds to send at least 10 local farmers to Terra Madre 2010, please donate to Slow Food Vancouver’s Terra Madre Fundr campaign today!