Slow Food NYC is thrilled to present the first of a mini-series written by guest blogger Kelly McGlinchey about her time on the ground at Terra Madre Giovani in Milan. Share your reactions with Kelly (@KellyMcGlinchey) and Slow Food NYC (@SlowFoodNYC) on Twitter and check back later for more!
by Kelly McGlinchey
Over 2,500 youth gathered in Milan yesterday for the inaugural Terra Madre Giovani We Feed the Planet. Event participants include chefs, small-scale producers, farmers, educators, nutritionists, policy makers, CEOs, entrepreneurs, fishermen, activists, and advocates, all under the age of 35 and together representing 120 countries of diverse perspectives and landscapes.
The conference comes to the city in the final days of Expo Milano 2015, which closes its doors on October 31st at the end of a contentious six-month run. When the expo's motto was first announced as Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life, advocates of the good food movement hoped that the focus of this year's world's fair would open room for sustained dialogue on solutions to the world's food challenges. Expectations have fallen sadly short, said by some critics to be a result of the expo's hefty list of corporate sponsors (including purveyors like McDonalds and PepsiCo).
Organizers and executives at Slow Food International recognized from the expo's onset that one imperative voice was missing from the maze of pavilions at the Milan complex. The voice of the small-scale farmer is often all but invisible on the international stage, despite the crucial role these unsung heroes play in feeding our local communities. It only seems fitting that the world's food producers would have a presence in a global innovation expo focused on generating solutions to feeding the planet. But the reality is a vastly different picture. Though visitors to the Expo will be captivated by the scale of the event and hopefully by some good food (with a stop to the Slow Food pavilion, that's a guarantee!), they are unlikely to meet any farmers, fishermen, cattle ranchers, or small-scale producers in their time at the fair.
It was with this context that Slow Food hatched the idea for Terra Madre Giovani in early spring of this year. As most Slow Foodies know, the Terra Madre network assembles every two years to connect and reflect on the state of local food economies, indigenous knowledge, and preservation of biodiversity. Terra Madre Giovani ("youth" in italiano) is the first of its kind, bringing together young food professionals at the forefront of food innovation and production from across the globe.
Joris Lohman, Chairman of the Youth Food Movement and Executive Member of Slow Food International, opened Saturday's remarks with a thoughtful reflection on Expo Milano and the inspiration behind We Feed the Planet.
"A voice was missing. The voice of the young food professionals, farmers, producers... the people who are going to feed the planet in the future - they are not there [at Expo Milano]. The global food system is broken and it needs new solutions, new energy."
Lohman continued to explain that the inaugural Terra Madre Giovani was given the apt tagline of We Feed the Planet in recognition of the role youth will, and indeed must, play in generating innovative and sustainable solutions to feeding the world's growing population.
The conference spans the course of four days, each packed with a dizzying array of workshops, panel discussions, master classes, and lectures, and featuring some of the most influential thought leaders and innovators in the global food landscape. Activist and writer Raj Patel delivered the keynote speech on Saturday, followed immediately by opening remarks from Slow Food visionary and founder Carlo Petrini. Both Mr. Petrini and Slow Food Vice President Alice Waters walk frequently between sessions at the conference center, always making time for the many photo ops asked of them (I was among the hopeful inquirers. Keeping scrolling for the coveted snapshot).
The conference concludes on Tuesday October 6th when the 2,500 participants assembled will make their way to the World's Fair, sharing the voices of young farmers on the global stage.
As a native New Yorker working in food education back home, every moment and interaction since the launch of Terra Madre Giovani here in Milan has been impetus to pause, reflect, and celebrate the incredible potential we hold to create and innovate! As a 7 year-old so wisely said in one of our New York City cooking class programs two years ago, "We are like the ingredients in a meal. When we work together in community, we create something beautiful."
I couldn't have said it better myself.
U.S. delegates from Slow Food Youth Network Vermont (L to R: Elliott, Ann, Evan, and Maggie), one New Yorker (me, far right) and Slow Food Founder Carlo Petrini.
Meeting one of my personal food heroes, Founder of Edible Schoolyard and Vice President of Slow Food International Alice Waters.
Kelly McGlinchey is currently guest blogging from the grounds of Slow Food's Terra Madre Giovani as a representative with the U.S. delegation in Milan. Back in New York Kelly is the Director of Food Education at Butter Beans, Inc, a New York City-based company that aims to improve the health of our communities through seasonal, nourishing food service and educational programs. Working at the intersection of food and the environment, Kelly is passionate about promoting a fair and equitable food future for our global communities. She loves to travel and has worked on gardens in South Africa, the Bahamas, Thailand, Australia, and most recently an 8ft x 1ft plot in front of her Upper West Side abode. Kelly earned her BA in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College.