ON MAY 29 AND 30 “TERRA MADRE” WILL BE IN TANZANIA TO START A COMMUNITY NETWORK OF FOOD BASED ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY. PROMOTED BY NGO CEFA, SLOW FOOD, SLOW FOOD FOUNDATION FOR BIODIVERSITY AND FAIR TRADE ITALY

The right to food and food supremacy, two sensitive and crucial issues that, today, are important more than ever. If food is truly a right for everybody, the most recent and disastrous major food crisis has revealed the need to give agriculture a primary role in government policies and practices. These will be the trump cards of “Terra Madre Tanzania”, an event sponsored by CEFA-European Committee for Training and Agriculture (non-governmental organization with thirty years experience in rural development through interventions focused on agriculture). Slow Food International and Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity have been active for years in the defense of agricultural biodiversity. Fair Trade Italy is the consortium for the certification of the trade fair, sponsored by the Italian Embassy in Dar es Salama, scheduled on May 29th and 30 th in the capital city, Dar es Salama. Their goal will be to create a cohesive network of local food communities and at the same time demonstrate how different realities can give positive examples of collaboration and sharing.

In many parts of Africa the hope for a better life is tied to the land. Sustainable agriculture actions are strategic in integrated rural development projects, and are a priority to achieve food security and a response to the basic needs of the populations. “Terra Madre Tanzania” will be an opportunity to open a discussion and a reflection on the experience of sustainable agriculture and protection of biodiversity in Africa: these are effective tools for fighting poverty and the prospects that they open up to improve economic conditions in the communities.
Two days of meetings and exhibitions with strong cultural value in the African region characterized by severe problems, but great potential, to speak of the right to food, biodiversity and food supremacy. This is part of the project, co-financed by the European Union, “Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity Protection and Fair Trade, Together against Poverty“ (Ngo-Ed/2006/120-817). The goal is to present various experiences of sustainable agriculture, protection of biodiversity and fair trade and focus particularly on a sustainable development plan, within the broad framework of rural development and poverty reduction. And, naturally, respect cultures and traditions, in an area where the NGO CEFA have been working for over 25 years.

The real protagonists of the event will be a hundred or so small producers of International Cooperative “Food Communities” and biological practitioners from all over the country. They are already working to make the concepts of right to food and food supremacy concrete and will debate on key issues, such as production and local consumption. This event marks an important milestone for the development of the territory: the birth of the Slow Food Convivium Asilia, the first in Tanzania, focusing on agricultural development.