Slow Food, a global, grassroots organization, envisions a world in which all people can access and enjoy food that is good for them, good for those who grow it and good for the planet.

Every Slow Food member around the world is part of a convivium – a local chapter – that brings the Slow Food philosophy to life through the events and activities they organize in their communities. Today there are more than 1,500 convivia around the world.

Each year Slow Food celebrates Terra Madre Day, globally, to promote the diversity of food traditions and production, and to show how the network is using its creativity and knowledge to express love for the planet and defend the future for the next generations.

 Image: Slow Food

This year’s Terra Madre Day falls under the Menu for Change Campaign that links climate change to the production and consumption of food, brings food to the center of climate change conversations and raises money for the climate-friendly work of Slow Food.

Food production is responsible for a third of total greenhouse gas emissions. It iss one of the major causes of global warming. Yet food is also one of the primary victims of climate change. Drought, desertification, floods, sea-level rise and ocean pollution put our food at risk across the world.

Terra Madre Day, on December 10, was celebrated in an endless number of ways, from small gatherings to large events: a celebratory picnic; a film screening to raise the profile of good, clean and fair food; an excursion to visit producers; a campaign or petition on a particular issue, didactic activities, a local gathering of producers, chefs, youth and others.

Slow Food encourages the use the hashtags #menuforchange #slowfood #TMD2017 in social media posts to help spread the word about the campaign and keep all updated about global activities. It is really fascinating to learn about Terra Madre Day celebration around the world.

 Image: Terra Madre Day 2017

In Brașov, Romania the Terra Madre Day is dedicated to local potatoes, with soups, pies, salads, burgers, and fritters.

Slow Food Trebinje, Hercegovina and its partners restaurants talked about impact of "bad" agriculture on climate change and invited guests to choose good, clean and fair food produced in sustainable way by small producers.

Slow Food Tigri Aglou in Morocco and its partners organized Terra Madre Day workshops and Farmers' Awareness Day, created a vegetable garden at school, visited the soup garden of Hassan Outhala, and tasted talkhcha a traditional dish made grom beans, olive oil, and spices.

 Image: Terra Madre Day 2017

Slow Food Philippines features Bibingka: A very Filipino Christmas culinary tradition. It is made from rice flour and coconut milk cooked in clay pots and lined with banana leaves. The traditional preparation is very time-consuming.

Slow Food Yogyakarta in Indonesia organized a 3-day event called “Pisang Presidia Parade Party.” The event offered several local and sustainable meals, visits to Bubrah Gayam local street market and to the Presidia producers of the Heritage Yogyakarta Banana Varieties.

Slow Food Bali partnered with Moksa Ubud, a restaurant that not only advocates for good, clean and fair food but also actively supports farmers and producers by offering them the possibility to showcase their produce at Moksa's Farmers Market.

As a member of Slow Food Jakarta/Kemang, Omar Niode Foundation partnered with Al-Andalusia Orphanage in Jakarta to celebrate Terra Madre Day 2017 with "Communal GORONTALO Meal."

Al Andalusia, a modest Islamic orphanage located in South Jakarta, Indonesia, was established 28 years ago. In a multi-level coed dorm it housed 80 junior and senior high school students and 10 staff. Not all of the students are orphans; however, they come from low-income families, mostly farmers in West java area, unable to provide food and education for the children. The orphanage feeds the students and gives them a place to stay while they attend local schools nearby.

On Terra Madre Day students had fun playing "name those herbs and spices game" and learning about climate change, food waste, Gorontalo local culinary delights, and Slow Food philosophy of good, clean, and fair food.

Located on the Wallacea Zone, a transition between the Asian and Australian continents, Gorontalo Province on the Island of Sulawesi, Indonesia has distinctive nutritious dishes with herbs and spices.

Surprisingly students at the orphanage correctly mentioned the names of all herbs and spices showcased for the event, since they regularly take turns cooking in the kitchen and prepared food for their peers.

It was the first time they have ever tasted Gorontalo dishes prepared with love by Biko Mointi Boekoesoe from Talaga Cookery, comprising nasi tumpeng Gorontalo (cone-shaped corn rice), tabu moitomo (black beef soup with 30 ingredients), ayam panggang iloni (spiced roasted chicken with 10 herbs and spices ), kakap bakar rica (grilled snapper with red chili), garo (spicy chicken liver saute with rice vermicelli), acar kuning (turmeric cucumber and carrot pickles) and orange as dessert.

The Terra Madre Day ended with entertainment by Al-Andalusia Marawis, percussion music with beautiful lyrics to praise God. Slow Food has set the Menu for Change Campaign to be held between September 29 and December 31, 2017. There are many different ways to participate, from social media to websites, events with Slow Food convivium and dinners organized with local chefs. Knowing its benefits, however, Menu for Change should not stop at the end of this year, it should be a long term campaign.

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