Over 40 Alberta cooks, farmers, and producers were nominated to attend Terra Madre 2006 last year and many of them are represented on Forage menus. Terra Madre is a Slow Food initiative supported by the Italian government that is dubbed the United Nations of food. The goal of Terra Madre is:
To restore dignity to the work of farmers, fisher folk, breeders and artisan food producers all around the world and to safeguard the right of peoples to food sovereignty and encourage a sustainable model of agrifood production — for all these reasons Slow Food has promoted the Terra Madre project, a world network of people who exchange knowledge and experience and meet every two years in Turin (Italy). Terra Madre fights the standardization of taste, large-scale industrial agriculture and genetic manipulation, and promotes collaboration between producers, cooks and academics to change the way food is produced today.
Last year over 150 countries were represented and it was an experience like no other. One of the biggest benefits was the bringing together of our local Alberta food community, and since then we have decided to get together on a regular basis.
Our second meeting was held yesterday at Forage and here are some notes on what was discussed:
First and foremost, we decided to meet regularly. There is incredible value in everyone coming together and being among those who understand each other. It’s like a boost in the arm to continue on and we enjoy each others company and opinions immensely. I liken it to an AA meeting, but Agriculture Anonymous. Hello, my name is Wade and I’m involved in local agriculture!
There was a lot of discussion about what more we could do as a group and what is it we want to do as a group. Of course there were several areas identified that we could work in, but the reality is most of us are already too busy with the lives we have and the one on one work we already do to further the movement. Working at the grass roots level that we do requires most of our energy and time. There are so many issues that consumers need to be aware of and need to take action on. They are going to have to start defending their food system and the people who grow, raise, and create within it.
Here are some of the issues we discussed that are affecting our local food and agriculture:
Land Use (Lunds Organic is an example of poor town planning policies that do not consider agriculture)
Health Care and the Relationship to Diet
Upcoming Laws (Bill 46? I think that allows oil companies to use your land if they so please)
The Higher Costs of Land and Farming
Entry into Agriculture and Future Farmers
Farmers Markets and their future
Food Education for Children
Industrial Organics
BSE and Borders
Production Lags and Price Fluctuations
Growing for Fuel and not Food
Interprovincial Trade Barriers
True Carbon Footprints
The Apathy of the Consumer at Large – probably the most worrying
And on and on…
Appreciation was expressed for the work that Slow Food Calgary has done and the impact it has had on the producers. The hard volunteer work that is fueled by passion has had a profound effect and the TM group thanked them.
At the end of the day, one thing we all agreed on was taste is the most important thing. We talk so much about all the other benefits of eating the kinds of food produced by this group that taste sometimes becomes the afterthought. Food that is raised or grown or produced with good, clean, and fair practices just tastes better. And nothing sells it better than that.