Bacolod City is gearing up to host a major global celebration of food biodiversity and heritage as it welcomes the inaugural Terra Madre Asia and Pacific from November 19 to 23.
Modeled after the world-renowned Terra Madre Salone del Gusto held biennially in Turin, Italy by the Slow Food movement, the continental gathering will be held at the Provincial Capitol Lagoon and is backed by the Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Province of Negros Occidental.
Negrense Ramon Uy Jr., Slow Food councilor for Southeast Asia, hailed the event as a milestone for the region.
“It is time for Asia and the Pacific to take center stage in the global sustainable food conversation,” Uy said in a statement over the weekend.
“This is a turning point not just for Slow Food in the Philippines, but for the entire region.”
He noted that Terra Madre Asia and Pacific is “a space where grassroots wisdom can shape policy, tradition can spark innovation, and the lived experiences of communities take their rightful place in shaping our global food future.”
Terra Madre is considered “the largest event dedicated to food politics, sustainable agriculture and the environment.”
During the 2024 edition in Turin, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez signed a memorandum of agreement with Slow Food International director-general Paolo di Croce, officially sealing Bacolod’s hosting of Terra Madre Asia and Pacific 2025.
Carrying the theme “From Soil to Sea: A Slow Food Journey Through Tastes and Traditions,” the five-day gathering will include a traditional Slow Food market, Slow Food Coffee Coalition space, Slow Drinks area, taste workshops and experts-led conferences.
With specialists in agriculture, food processing and gastronomy sharing their visions for a sustainable future in the Asia-Pacific region, it will gather farmers, fishers, cooks, youth, food communities, indigenous leaders, researchers, and cultural advocates to celebrate biodiversity and co-create sustainable food systems rooted in tradition, fairness and environmental care, organizers said.
“This landmark gathering solidifies Bacolod City’s role as the newly designated slow food international hub for Asia-Pacific and marks the evolution of successful Terra Madre Visayas events hosted in Bacolod in 2023 and 2024,” the organizers said.
On the part of the Philippines, Terra Madre Asia and Pacific will showcase the country’s gastronomy, food biodiversity, and cultural heritage, and foster cross-border collaboration among food producers, chefs, youth and indigenous communities.
In addition, the event will build public awareness around ethical foodways, climate resilience, and sustainable agriculture as well as reinforce the DOT’s commitment to positioning the Philippines as a global gastronomy destination. (PNA)