We were there!

Mundus maris Participation in the Terra Madre – Slow Food 2010 Conference

 

 

 

by Adaba Ibim, Ibrahima Seck and Mariale-Colette Meffire

photos by Adaba Ibim and Ibrahima Seck

The 2010 edition of Terra Madre has come and gone with a global call for greater mobilisation for the promotion of good, clean and fair food around the world. Three members of Mundus maris took part at the international forum that took place in Turin, Italy, from 21 to 25 October.

During their stay in this beautiful city, Dr. Adaba Ibim from Nigeria, Ibrahima Seck from Senegal and Mariale-Colette Meffire from Cameroon attended some conferences on slow fish, land grab issues, GMOs (genetically modified organisms), biodiversity issues, the difficulties in ensuring food security in the world, the problem of land in Africa and female rights on land inheritance among many others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As pointed out by the founder and president of the slow food movement, Carlos Petrini, at the opening ceremony on Thursday October 21, at the winter-sports-multipurpose-complex in Turin, the war waged against fast food can not be won unless farmers and women who are at the center of agricultural activities in most countries in the world are given the respect they deserve.

He noted with regret that the earth is not well preserved to guarantee sustainable agriculture and urged for a change of mentality.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

In most of the conferences, the three flag bearers of Mundus maris, and other participants from the over 150 countries, who took part at the Turin rendez-vous, underscored the importance for world leaders, civil society activists and other stakeholders to brainstorm on ways of ensuring that the culture of food is more widely respected and promoted.

 

 

Raising awareness of the activities of Mundus maris was a main mission assigned to the three delegates from the Association.

Despite the absence of flyers (unfortunately stuck at the SlowFood office some distance away from where the events took place), the members succeeded in drawing the attention of some participants at the international conference in Turin to the activities of Mundus maris.

 

The Mundus maris shopping bags brought by Ibrahima Seck were quite popular.

The delegates were also able to expose the ill influence of various human activities on the Seas around us, on organic communities around the sea or on those are dependent on the sea.

There was ample opportunity to discuss action to get us out of the fisheries crisis and back into sustainable and healthy food production from the sea.

The Slow Fish section of Slow Food was quite active at the conference, not only with posters, but also discussion groups and seminars (see also snapshots below, above Adaba Ibim posing in front of the leading Slow Fish poster).

 

 

 

 

 

Another major objective was, of course, to get to know people from other countries, contribute own experiences and learn from those shared by others. The interactions and networking were intense throughout the entire duration of the event.

The three visiting associate-members of Mundus maris were also present at the stand of Moringa News hosted by the the sponsoring organisation, the CTA; and helped in raising awareness on the nutritive values of the Moringa leaves.

The plants are grown in some African countries, such as Ghana, Senegal and Madagascar, and the leaves processed in different ways, including into powder, tea and biscuits.

 

 

 

The 2010 edition of Terra Madre displayed the rich cultural diversity of the world and enhanced dialogue between the participants from different countries. It was an unforgettable trip. More snapshots by Adaba Ibim in the gallery below.