December 10 is Terra Madre Day, a worldwide celebration held every year to reconnect communities with local food. The day is a reminder for us to spend more time to identify, cultivate, cook and conserve hundreds of local varieties that have adapted over time to the climactic conditions and the characteristics of every kind of land. 

Terra Madre Day is organized by Slow Food, a global, grassroots association with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.

We have posted several articles on Slow Food on this blog: Slow Food for World Environment Day, Experiencing Roman Slow Food, and Salone del Gusto & Terra Madre 2012 greets Indonesia.  

Terra Madre day was launched in 2009 where more than 1,000 events took place in 120 countries celebrating food diversity and the right to good, clean and fair food. Since then, every year on December 10, Slow Food convivia and Terra Madre communities invited small-scale farmers and producers, responsible cooks and concerned consumers to encourage local sustainable economies.

Activities to celebrate Terra Madre Day are now occurring in many countries across the world: in cities and rural areas, in schools or community centers, in cinemas or at farms, restaurants and homes of those who care.

To help celebrate this year’s Terra Madre day, we pulled out information and event examples from the websites of  Slow Food  and Terra Madre and highlighted them in this posting:

Celebratory Communal Meal to bring the pleasure of good, clean and fair food to a wider audience. By inviting producers to attend, diners will expand their knowledge and appreciation of local food.

Excursion to Producers from a specific region to bring consumers and producers together where people sample products and learn from producers.

Film and Cultural Events such as music, theater, oral traditions and visual arts that can all play a role in creating a critical awareness of food culture.

Campaigns  focusing on a particular issue such as cooking demonstrations in marketplaces to promote sustainable fish choices or urging government to make a clear statement on certain crops.

Thematic Activities on a specific food, issue or tradition on something important to a community such as rare varieties or fruit and vegetables to protect biodiversity.

Food and Taste Education Activities such as school gardens, guided tastings, and knowledge exchange between older generations and young people.

Local Terra Madre Gatherings that involve meetings between producers, cooks, researchers, young people and consumers to strengthen the local good, clean and fair food network as well as to share information and present ideas for the future.

Fundraising for a Slow Food Project that could take many forms, from a Gala dinner to a film screening to a community auction of local food hampers or other items.

The Slow Food organization now has more than 100,000 members around the world joined in 1,300 local chapters called convivia. Each has its own way of celebrating Terra Madre Day the week around December 10.

Convivium Bali organized a Cupping Event on December 8 learning about all things Arabica coffee such as the aroma, the flavor, the acidity of Arabicas from Bali, Sumatera and toraja. On the same day, Convivium Jabodetabek collaborated with Indonesia Organic Community inviting people to enjoy Balinese traditional cuisine of Nasi Sela (rice and cassava), Ayam Pelalah (shredded chicken and Balinese spices), Jukut Serombotan (mixed vegetables of kale, spinach, beansprouts and string beans), Rujak Kuah Pindang (fruit salad with fish sauce) and Es Bir ( a drink made of ginger, cinnamon, clove and palm sugar). At Rumah Sehat Intiyana, a small eatery for healthy and organic food, Chef Jro Ratu Ghoniyarossi Kerth explained how to cook the food and the history behind every dish. The proceed is to be donated to a foundation for child cancer.

Convivium Jakarta- Kemang led by Helianti Hilman carried out a number of activities. Titled Revisiting Heirloom Recipes: Spices up our day, in a cooking demo for Nirmala magazine community on December 9 in Pinewood Organic Farm, Cisarua Helianti described all the local ingredients, the origins and benefits of consuming Bir Temulawak (Java Turmeric Beer), Ayam Tangkap (chicken dish of Aceh origin rich in herbs), and Mixed Bean Salad.

On December 16 Convivium Jakarta- Kemang with Javara and Omar Niode Foundation will celebrate Terra Madre Day by organizing Food Garden and Food Tasting Event. We will provide training on how to plant food crops in urban environments by utilizing idle land. The food tasting will be an adaptation of Slow Food’s Honey Taste Test Game.

Terra Madre Day celebration is an important symbolic moment, encouraging the work being done at the local level to build a sustainable, local food system and demonstrating the diversity of communities all around the world who are part of this global network striving for a better food future.

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Images: Terra Madre Day, Slow Food Jakarta - Kemang, Omar Niode Foundation