As part of the official program at Terra Madre Salone Del Gusto, the Nordic and Baltic Slow Food communities got together for a network meeting in central Torino.
Among the 40 present were representatives from all five Nordic Countries, as well as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Starting with a short round of introductions, many who had previously met only online during the regular Nordic Calls got to meet live for the first time. The meeting continued with discussions of expectations for both the network and a future arrangement of the event Terra Madre Nordic.
Jannie Vestergaard, Chairperson of Slow Food in the Nordic Countries, read aloud and explained the objectives of the umbrella organization, founded in 2019, as follows:
- To give the Nordic Community a common base and to provide the opportunity to support closer cooperation and development of the Slow Food ideas, developed by Slow Food and shown in its vision, mission and general philosophy. This will be performed in a light, open and democratic organization with a formal structure.
- To create a forum for exchange of experiences of Nordic food culture and to use the forum to develop the ideas of Slow Food.
- To plan Nordic gatherings as well as a Nordic Terra Madre, as a platform of exchange focused on issues and challenges specific to the Nordic countries.
- To strengthen the Slow Food network in the Nordic countries through the creation and development of local groups and to coordinate activities developed.
- To broaden the understanding of the Slow Food ideas by seminars, printed matter, educational activities and training.
- To build and create a solid basis for the Slow Food movement in the Nordic countries aimed at enabling the movement to react to the major political and social challenges of this region.
- To collaborate and work to increase awareness of the Slow Food philosophy at all political levels.
- To support international projects and activities of Slow Food, actively promoting them and raising awareness.
Slow Food Farms in the Nordic Countries
Slow Food Danmark, Slow Food Helsinki, and the Slow Food Community in Lithuania presented their work with engaging farms in the Slow Food Farms network, which has engaged 46 farms across the Nordic and Baltic countries, with 15 still to join in Finland.
” It has been a joy and a pleasure to see solutions to challenges in the farms,” says Cornelia Kaas, project coordinator for the Slow Food Farms initiative in Denmark.
Henrieta Miliauskienė from Slow Food in Lithuania says Slow Food Farms allow farmers to connect with farmers all over the world, and shared that farmers in Lithuania have compared being accepted as a Slow Food farm to receiving an Oscar. (read more about the initiative here).
Slow Food Helsinki and Slow Food Stockholm proposed gathering Nordic and Baltic Slow Food Farms online, either through a joint online discussion channel or a website page listing the farms with contacts. As one now, you can find all Slow Food Farms and contact information on the map on the Slow Food International website. Slow Food Farms in Denmark are also listed on the Slow Food Danmark website.
Looking Forward & Terra Madre Nordic
An important question was raised during the meeting, inviting participants to reflect on what the umbrella organization can bring to local convivium and communities around the Nordics and Baltics, and how the organization can develop in the future.
“This is a network for exchanging ideas; it is important to support each other, to get to know each other, and we can all learn from each other,” said Andrea Gilly, representing Slow Food Helsinki.
Cornelia Kaas from Slow Food Danmark added:
“The Nordic network is helpful to implement international projects in the Nordic countries; it is good to reflect with others on how to do it.”
One of the main questions at the meeting was what the Terra Madre Nordic event could look like. After two successful events, in Denmark in 2018 and Sweden in 2022, the organization is now looking for ideas and collaborators to realize the event in the coming years.
“What is clear is that the event needs a strong anchor in a region, whether it is a collaborator, an existing event, or a convivium. It is also important to clarify the financial possibilities,” said Jannie Vestergaard, adding that apart from this crucial framework, the event can be anything we choose it to be, and all ideas are welcome.
A taste of the Nordics & the Baltics
A spread of Nordic and Baltic delicacies was shared throughout the meeting. From Danish apple varieties and Finnish mushroom jerky to traditional midsummer cheese from Latvia and Rhubarb Mustard from Iceland, the smorgasbord embodied the region’s diverse flavors, food cultures, and potential for further collaboration.
The discussion will continue online, with the first Nordic Call open to everyone involved in Slow Food in the Nordics and the Baltics. Book the 29th of October, at 19–21 CTA. A Zoom link will be sent prior to the meeting.
Until then – Follow along with your Nordic and Baltic Slow Food friends on social media – find all links to handles here.
