Friday 10th December 2011 is Terra Madre day. Terra Madre day is the day we celebrate the the divers food traditions, cultures and quality food grown using responsible and sustainable ways. It is about food grown in ways that respects the environment and people.
This year, a key focus of Terra Madre Day is 1000 Gardens in Africa, Slow Food’s new project to develop community and school food gardens across this continent and many events are support this initiative by raising funds, adopting a project or establishing a twinning between their own community or school garden and one of the gardens in Africa.
Terra Madre is celebrated right around the world and I encourage you to join in.
You can learn more about Terra Madre day at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFgBkrrxChU&feature=player_embedded
There are many ways we can celebrate Terra Madre day and make a difference to the environment and ourselves:
1. create a garden in your backyard, balcony or local school
2. say not to GMO food products and do not purchase them
3. make a conscious decision to purchase food products that are organically and ethically grown
4. ask your local restaurant what practices they have adopted to respect the environment and your health for example do they use good oils such as olive oil for their dishes
5. start reading the labels on your groceries and choose products that care about the environment, people and communities for example choose fair trade products
6. Do you really know what is going into your food? Watch this video “Food matters” and find out the truth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4DOQ6Xhqss
Write to your local Member of Parliament and other related parties and tell them to change the poor labeling laws that we have in Australia. Why does our Government not identify the chemicals ingredients and products contain that we eat on a daily basis that could compromise our health?
Happy Terra Madre day and in the words of Greek Father of Medicine “Let food be your medicine and medicine your food”.
Terra Madre & Salone Del Gusto 2010
