TUNÇ SOYER: WE'LL BRING 'TERRA MADRE GASTRONOMY FAIR' TO IZMIR

Press release...

The world's most famous gastronomy fair "Terra Madre" is coming to Izmir...

The “Terra Madre” gastronomy fair, which takes place every two years in Turin, Italy, under the leadership of the world's largest food movement Slow Food, is coming to İzmir in 2021. Terra Madre fair, in Turkey the "Slow Food" will be implemented in partnership with the group.

Izmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer and Turkey Slow Food, met with a delegation of union officials in the city of Bremen Slow Food Italy. Tunç Soyer along with delegation of Turkey met with Slow Food President Carlo Petrini, Slow Food Secretary General Paolo Di Croce Slow Food and the Balkans Coordinator Michele Rua. As a result of the negotiations, it was agreed that the Mediterranean and Anatolian leg of the Slow Food Terra Madre fair will be held in İzmir in 2021.

It will change the fate of small producers in Turkey...

Not only will be held in Izmir, Izmir Fair to Terra Madre, will join small producers from all over Turkey and the Mediterranean. All the examples of Anatolian cuisine and agricultural products will meet at the fair, producers who have had difficulties to market so far, will introduce the ancient local products to the world without intermediaries. Slow Food associations and other municipalities will be determined via the individual manufacturer's preparatory process of the exhibition will last 18 months and hundreds of volunteers from Turkey will participate in the management of this process.

Gastronomic products from different geographical regions of Turkey will come together. Producers will also meet to discuss their problems. There will be many panels and workshops on access to healthy food and agriculture. Terra Madre will be held in Izmir, Turkey and the Mediterranean hundreds of local producers and is aimed at making host to thousands of visitors.

“Food culture is lost in the palm of our hands”

Izmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer said, "We have to create alternative markets to remain in the place of Izmir in Turkey and producers of labour. Valuable and delicious products from each other are being produced in İzmir and all over the country. These products are disappearing one by one since they can not find the money in the market, Turkey's food and farming culture is slipping through our grasp. Terra Madre Anatolia will be the most important part of our efforts to prevent this."

"We will be conducting an intensive study programme with local and small producers around Turkey We will do our utmost to ensure their return to their priceless products. It is unacceptable that in a country with such an ancient agriculture and culinary culture, the rapid decline of small producers, the decline of rural population and the disappearance of our thousands of years of food culture are unacceptable. This event will not only be a fair event. It will also make a note of history that another agricultural vision is possible," Soyer concluded...