Terra Madre Visayas 2024 celebrated food diversity and sustainability through an event geared towards cultivating a future of good, clean, and fair food.
Slow Food Community of Negros‘ yearly Terra Madre Visayas began after an inspiring experience at the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto in Turin, Italy. Now in its second edition, the Terra Madre Visayas 2024 was a celebration of diverse cultures and food, uniting delegates and groups from all over the Philippines. The movement aims to foster cooperation, dialogue, sharing, responsibility, and food education.
Although this has only been the second year of a local Terra Madre in Bacolod, it draws on a depth of knowledge and application from the mainstays of Negros Island organic farmers and the local Organic Farmer’s Festival.
The 17th Negros Island Organic Festival and second edition of the Terra Madre Visayas was held at North Capitol Road in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. The five-day event attracted the attendance of over 4,500 people. Booths and stalls lined the closed off streets beside the lagoon and around the capitol drive entrance. Talks and workshops were held daily at the Negros Residences—all within walking range of the participants and event visitors.
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Guests were treated to an extraordinary food community that expanded and evolved. Participating delegates who have implemented tangible projects in their communities came to share and collaborate. Government support and representation was engaged in recognition of their valuable contribution to our food systems, travel tourism, and local entertainment. This year, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed—making Bacolod City the hub for Slow Food International in Asia and the Pacific. The result was attracting more Slow Food advocates in the Asia-Pacific region to come to Bacolod and Negros Island, forming and interacting with Slow Food communities there, then taking the experience back to their region thus spreading the advocacy of good, clean, and fair food through the different programs of the Slow Food Movement. This initiative was led by Mayor Abelardo Benitez of Bacolod and supported by Governor Eugenio Lacson of Negros Occidental.
The Department of Tourism has also committed to support the holding of the Terra Madre Asia Pacific 2025 in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. Secretary of the Department of Tourism, Christina Garcia Frasco, confirmed this during her visit and message at the Terra Madre Visayas event. Governor Lacson, Mayor Albee Benitez, and Mayor Javier Benitez were present with Slow Food advocates such as Slow Food International councilor for Southeast Asia Chinchin Uy, spokesperson of the Slow Food Community of Negros Reena Gamboa, Slow Food International director for Slow Food Travel Alessandra Turco, and Slow Food International director for Asia and the Pacific Elena Aniere. A ceremony was held to celebrate the announcement, with the serving of a big pot of traditional Ilonggo dish KBL or Kadios (Pigeon Pea), Baboy (Pork), and Langka (Jackfruit) cooked with batwan, a typical souring agent in the province. Terra Madre Asia Pacific in 2025 is an international event where member countries of Slow Food International will be invited to join and exhibit their local food ingredients and dishes, as well as participate in various activities. The focus participants will be targeting Slow Food communities, organic farmers, cooks, chefs, fishermen, food activists, foragers, and the like from all over Asia and the Pacific.
Promoting food biodiversity by preserving, cultivating, and integrating it into our diets and food systems is at the heart of what Slow Food does. Biodiversity is at the core of agroecology. Agroecological farming systems help combat the climate crisis and produce good, clean, and fair food for all, resulting in a mutually beneficial situation for everyone involved. Terra Madre aims to spread and grow more slow food communities in the Philippines and Asia, creating a global movement united by one common goal.
A welcome dinner was held at one of the Slow Food restaurants in Bacolod, Lanai by FreshStart. Here the Roots Siargao team worked with Chef Pat Go, preparing a welcome dinner that all the guests enjoyed immensely. Other local activities that guests experienced in Bacolod included a visit to 7 Hectares: fish ponds of aquaculturist Kiko Torno, where lunch and dinners were prepared by chefs Ziggy Segunial , Charis Gatmaitan, and Vinsoy Abawan. Everything served was from the fish ponds of 7 Hectares, and included imbao (mangrove clams, razor clams, crabs, apahap or Asian sea bass), shrimps, and oysters. Other highlights included a visit to the kitchens of Crispy Piayita (formerly Baylon) to witness how the Bacolod delicacy piyaya is made; and a visit to 82-year-old Sinda Belleza, who makes the best lumpiang ubod (fresh heart of palm spring roll) in the region.
Terra Madre Visayas 2024 aimed to continue shaking things up—taking action in preparation for the bigger Terra Madre Asia Pacific events Bacolod is hosting next year. Their slow food travel program needs to be launched and presented early on, so they are better able to accept more guests, inform them of the guidelines set by Slow Food International, and hold more networking meetings that interlink communities, farmers, and other stakeholders through better systems of support and encouragement.
Together, they are building a future for good, clean, and fair food systems—expanding this niche movement, and moving it to center stage in the narrative of future food production and consumption.
Photos by Pepper Teehankee (unless stated).
