Salone Del Gusto And Terra Madre 2014 Will Gather Representatives From Uganda In Support Of Sustainable Agriculture

Organized by Slow Food, the region of Piedmont and the city of Turin in collaboration with the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, the international Salone del Gusto andTerra Madre event is coming back to Turin, Italy, from October 23 to 27.

The event will host food communities from all over the world as well as food producers, Slow Food Presidia and chefs, Taste Workshops and educational activities.

Educational projects
Mukono Learning Community: As part of the project “Developing Innovations in School Cultivation”, the Slow Food Convivium Mukono aims at improving the relationship children have with agriculture, in an attempt to combat chronic food shortages and safeguard local food traditions.

The project involves the creation of school gardens planted with local varieties of fruit and vegetables, cultivated according to traditional, environmentally friendly methods. Through practical experience and other educational activities, 650 students learn about traditional products, their flavors and their uses. The project is coordinated by Edward Mukiibi, young agronomist from Uganda and Vice President of Slow Food International.

Bugisu Rural Youth Farmer: This community is mainly involved in small-scale farming by helping the young farmers with agricultural technical support and the commercialization of their products.

The beneficiaries are trained to optimize land and to preserve the soil, especially on the slopes of Mount Elgon, they practice different soil conservation methods, like mulching, terracing and planting of grass along the steep slopes in the hilly areas of Bududa, Manafwa and Mbale districts.

Representatives of the Slow Food 10,000 Gardens inAfrica Project: Slow Food is creating 10,000 good, clean and fair food gardens in African schools and villages to guarantee communities the supply of fresh and healthy food, but also to train a network of leaders who, by being aware of the value of their land and their culture, can serve as protagonists for change and the continent's future.

Terra Madre Chefs
There will also be two chefs from Uganda in the Terra Madre kitchen: Mrs. Nassozi Kezia from Mukono and Mrs. Esther Magomu from Mbale.

The following food communities from Uganda will be present in the International Market area:

Bukinga Bogoya Banana Growers: In the Mabira forest in central Uganda, not far from Lake Victoria, a particular variety of banana is cultivated: a very sweet banana known locally as bogoya.

Ankole Cattle Herders: The Ankole breed is kept for both its tender meat and its milk. The milk is high in fat and used to prepare a product called ekivuguto in the Runyankole language. The milk is also used to make yogurt and ghee, which is used as a condiment in local dishes. For the populations that live off of cattle breeding, the Ankole/Inyambo cow is thought of as a mother for the great importance that it has in the local culture.

Millet Producers and Processors: This community in eastern Uganda produces and processes millet with the main objective of safeguarding the indigenous varieties, which give a very special aroma and taste to millet bread and beer.

LuweroRobusta Coffee Presidium: Uganda is Africa's second-largest coffee producer. Traditionally two native varieties were cultivated in Uganda, Kisansa and Nganga. The first can keep producing for several decades, growing up to 10 meters tall, and is resistant to all the major diseases. The second, Nganga, is smaller and less resistant. It does not fruit all year round, but only at the end of the two rainy seasons, in October and June. This stand will offer a coffee tasting.

To apply for accreditation for SDG/TM 2014, please visit the following website: http://www.salonedelgusto.com/press/pre-accreditation/

For further information, please contact:
℅ Slow Food Paola Nano, +39 329 8321285 [email protected] Sharon Aknin, +39 3274737220 [email protected]

c/o Regione Piemonte: Tel. +39 011 4322549 [email protected]

c/o Comune di Torino: Tel. +39 011 4423605 [email protected]

Slow Food is a global grassroots organization that 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.

Organized by Slow Food, the region of Piedmont and the city of Turin in collaboration with the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, the international Salone del Gusto event is coming back to Turin, Italy, this year in its 10th edition. Dedicated to the world of food, Salone del Gusto is once more united into a single event with the international meeting of Terra Madre, the network of small-scale producers from around the world, which is now in its 10th year. Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre 2014 will be held from October 23-27 in Turin's trade fair Centre Lingotto Fiere and see the presence of over 1000 exhibitors from 130 countries.