The 10th anniversary edition of the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2024, a biennial event, took place in Turin, Italy, from 26-30 September. In its twenty years of existence, the event has welcomed more than 40,000 delegates from all over the world. This year, 3000 delegates from 122 countries took part in the event, with a focus on climate change, the preservation of food culture, and the opportunities and prospects of organic farms. Participants presented their farmed and produced products at 700 stands.

Slow Food, the initiator of this exceptional event, invited the President of the Slow Tourism Association, Henrietta Miliauskiene, to represent her country. There have been several initiatives in Lithuania to join the Slow Food movement, but without success.

The Terra Madre 2024 event focused on the new Slow Food initiative – farms. Back in the summer, the first distance training for future Slow Food Farm Evaluators took place. Henrieta Miliauskiene was selected as one of 30 assessors from all over the world who had to actually try out the assessment system and nominate at least one farm for the Slow Food Farm category in their own country.

Around 200 more assessors were trained during the Terra Madre event in Turin to assess farms using a specially developed questionnaire. It is hoped that by 2025, 1,000 farms will have been nominated in the Slow Food Farm category worldwide. One Lithuanian farm has been nominated for this category. The evaluation process is still ongoing. By the end of the year, the first officially recognised Slow Food Farms around the world should be revealed.

What is a Slow Food Farm? It is not a certification for products, but a nomination for a farm. It is an international recognition for a farm that operates according to agroecological principles. What is agroecology? It is sustainable farming, where biodiversity, tradition and respect for nature play a key role. Slow Food Farm says NO to chemicals, GMOs and monocultures. Slow Food Farm says YES to ancient seeds, domesticated animal species and traditional cooking. Nutritious, clean and fairly produced food – these are the essential criteria of Slow Food Farm.

Slow Food has been a community of supporters for almost 40 years. The focus has been and continues to be on food, food quality and food traditions. Recently, the effects of climate change have become increasingly evident around the world and are significantly linked to the impact of chemical farms on the environment. Food starts on the farm. And it is in the farmer's worldview and values that the farm begins, so it is no coincidence that Slow Food has focused on farms that strive to provide nutritious, clean, and fairly grown produce.

During the Terra Madre event, around 20 events, discussions, conferences, meetings and tastings took place simultaneously every hour. A total of – 1000 events. The heart of it all – how to manage ongoing cataclysms and provide access to healthy, nutritious and non-polluted food for all, how to manage the degradation of the earth and ensure bio-diversity.

Lithuanian representatives at the event will shortly produce translations of key Slow Food documents into Lithuanian. Training will also be organised for several potential communities that could become the first Slow Food convivium in our country. The members of these conviviums will continue to spread Slow Food ideas in Lithuania through the food they prepare/grow.