THE STORIES OF
THE PROTAGONISTS
MONICA
CASTAGNEROItalyExpertise: Brewer
Location: Rosta (Torino)
READ THE STORYIn Rosta, in a city between Turin and the mountains of Susa Valley, lives Monica Castagnero with her family at their tiny brewery: Birrificio Castagnero. The work they do can be described as a real craftmanship. Not only the boiling plant and the fermenters are handmade by Monica's dad, the beer is bottled exclusively by hand. Year by year, the color of the malt, hence of the beer, is never the same. This is what makes their products unique, every year again.
LEE
AYUMaejantaiExpertise: Coffee producer
Location: Maejantai
READ THE STORYLee grew up in a place where there were only a few opportunities to study, travel or come in contact with other ideas and cultures. He took all opportunities he could get, and after graduating and working for the Child’s Dream Foundation, he is now thrilled to improve the economic situation of his village and of the future of the children of his tribe by starting different projects, one focusing on the Akha Ama Coffee for example.
LEAH
LEKANYIAKenyaExpertise: Nomad pastoralist
Location: Kenya
READ THE STORYShe is 26 years old, comes from Kenya, and her life is an example of how “networking” and making connections sometimes can open unforseen scenarios. Her name is Leah Lekanya. She is about to finish her first year of training at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo. and she is ready to take care of the destinity of communities which may seem far away, but are actually closer than we think.
ZIED
EZZEDINE Kerkennah IslandsExpertise: Fisher
Location: Isole Kerkenna
READ THE STORYZied Ezzedine was only 12 years old, when he discovered his passion for fishery. Zied grew up in a fisher family and had the change to learn different fishing techniques, used on a small-scale or for the industry. Now, he is one of the very few people who has made respect for the sea a priority. His fishing technique is called charfia, and he is not going to give up this traditional fishing technique.
ALESSANDRO BOASSO
ARIANNA MARENGOItalyExpertise: Herders
Location: Alta Langa
READ THE STORYThe love story of Alessandro and Arianna takes place in a tiny village in the Alta Langa, in Piemonte, Italy, an area that is characterized by its vanishing local agriculture. Nonetheless, this love couple decided to embrace this challenge: they now run a farm there, farm around 60 Langhe sheep, produce their own dairy and want to show the world what they are doing. “ We believe that being open to the community is very important in order to get people excited about what we’re doing.”
ALTIN PRENGA
BLEDAR KOLAAlbaniaExpertise: Chef
Location: Albania
READ THE STORYBeing an Albanian chef enables Altin Prenga and Bledar Kola to promote the rich gastronomic heritage, Albanaia has. Their passion for food and cooking become clear when you will enter their kitchens. Their local recipies and locally produced ingredients are part of the cultural experience in the kitchen they want to stimulate. They are looking forward to the dialogue, with all other farmers, chefs and consumers, out which can come a better, clean and fairer gastronomy.
MARIAM
TAHARCairo, EgyptExpertise: Biodiversity, sustainability
Location: Il Cairo
READ THE STORYMariam is born in Cairo, Egypt, but traveled to different places around the world. She did a study abroad, she took part in various international developments programs and, now, she is willing to use her experiences to help her country. While her country has been going through a cultural upheaval, she keeps working on the sustainability, the protection of local communities and local small-scale production and biodiversity in her country. She is looking forward to come to Milan, to the intercultural exchange with others.
TIGINESH
MITIK BEYENEEthiopiaExpertise: Slow Food projects
Location: Etiopia
READ THE STORYTiginesh Mitik Beyene traveled around the world, but returned to Ethiopia in 2009 to play an active role in changing the future of the food and farming of her country. Since 2012, she has been involved in a lot of Slow Food projects, such as the community food garden, which is a leading example of urban agriculture projects, the 10,000 Gardens in Africa project and the Ark of Taste in Ethiopia. She is committed to preserving biodiversity, products and gastronomic traditions, and is looking forward to thinking about the future of food together in October!
IRENE
BRUINSThe NetherlandsExpertise: Dairy farmer
Location: Olanda
READ THE STORYShe is dedicated to producing dairy products and educating consumers at her parents’ farm. WIth her own initiated projects, she is passionate to prevent (young) people from bad eating habits. Her name is Irene Bruins, only 28 years old, but she and her brother already know that they will take over the farm from their parents in a few years. They are looking forward to learning from all other food producers during Terra Madre Giovani - We Feed The Planet.
SKA MIRRIAM
MOTEANELesothoExpertise: Professional chef
Location: Lesotho
READ THE STORYOver the past few years, the life of professional chef Ska Mirriam Monteane has changed completely. After she went to Terra Madre, she decided to leave her job and to move back to Lesotho. She is thrilled to stimulate everybody to work together to ensure that small-scale farmers can succeed and to protect the biodiversity. "If we lose our local food, we will lose our identity, our culture as well."
JESPER OLSEN
MICHAEL KRISTENSENDenmarkExpertise: Fishers
Location: Thorup Strand
READ THE STORYJesper Olsen and Michael Kristensen are two young members of the Thorup Strand Association, a fishing community that can keep fishing and helps keep external investments at bay, thanks to the contributions of its own members in fishing quotas. They are looking forward to exchanging experiences with other young people who are passionate about the marvel that is the sea!
PAXKAL
HAIRISPURU FranceExpertise: Shepherd
Location: Bassa Navarra
READ THE STORYPaxkal Hairispuru is 25 years old and his passion for farming animals and sheep was kindled at an early age. Growing up with his grandparents’, he learned to be a shepherd. Even though he faces some difficulties as a young producer and due to limited resources, his passion never stops. He is looking forward to coming to the event and drawing others into his passion and his projects!
EDIE
MUKIIBIUgandaExpertise: Agronomist
Location: Kampala
READ THE STORYEdie was 23 years old and studying in Kampala when, working closely with local farmers, he realized that something in what he recognized as "modern agronomy," wasn’t working. It was through his work to address thi dissatisfaction that he got to know some of the Terra Madre food communities. Returning from the event in Italy, with his contagious energy, he decided to found a Slow Food Convivium in Uganda.
FRANCISCO
MELO MEDERIOSBrazilExpertise: Beekeeper
Location: Rio Grande do Norte
READ THE STORYFrancisco spent his childhood in the north east of Brazil, in close contact with the nature of this semi-desert environment. Partly for fun, and partly for passion, Francisco approaches beekeeping without abandoning his studies in pedagogy. Together with a group of friends, he founded JOCA: a food association working to protect the local territory.
MATTHEW
NEUFELDCanadaExpertise: Farmer/Chef
Location: Winnipeg
READ THE STORYMatthew began spending time in the kitchen during his school days, partly by chance. As he got older, Matthew became increasingly passionate about the world of food, and discovered the importance of the origin of ingredients. He moved to Perth, Australia, where reflecting on the relationship between food and raw materials, he became aware of Slow Food. It was then that he decided to attend the Cooking School in Pollenzo, Italy. His incredible journey took him across three continents to Lake Scuro in the province of Cremona, and an organic farm a short distance from Milan.
NICOLA
DEL VECCHIOItalyExpertise: Farmer
Location: Campobasso
READ THE STORYAs soon as he finished school, Nicola left Molise to attend the newly founded University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, in the province of Cuneo. During his time at the university, he reflected on the relationship between land and raw materials, and decided to practice his studies on his parents’ land near Campobasso.
It can be hard to imagine your future when you are only twenty, but with passion and enthusiasm, Nico and his friends soon organized many activities such as a food festival. With a passion for local produce, he gave new life to abandoned locations and raised awareness about the quality of his land.RAMAZ
NIKOLADZEGeorgiaExpertise: Winemaker
Location: Nakhshirgele
READ THE STORYRamaza works in one of the oldest civilizations, straddling Europe and Asia, where the grapevine was domesticated. Despite difficult environmental conditions, Ramaz decided to try and fulfill a dream: to cultivate the vineyards of his father using a traditional technique that involves the use of age-old amphorae.
Thanks to friends from Japan, passionate about his wine, he came into contact with Slow Food. Slow Food now helps him take his magical products to places around the world.
Today Ramaz is 40 years old; his passion is an example for all Georgian winemakers.ANTOINE
BAURAINFranceExpertise: Farmer
Location: Forcalquier
READ THE STORYAntoine is 29 years old. He studied industrial design and is passionate about longboarding. At a certain point in his life, everything changed: he decided to help his family on a farm in the valley of Les Truques in Provence. Here he cultivates einkorn wheat; one of the oldest varieties of wheat cultivated by man and a Slow Food Presidium for many years.