Terra Madre Asia and Pacific 2025 (TMAP 2025) , a global gathering of food communities initiated by the slow food movement, will open at the Negros Occidental provincial Capitol grounds in Bacolod City from Nov. 19 to 23.
The gathering that will be attended by 2,000 representatives from 25 countries and 18 regions in the Philippines is expected to boost the local economy, especially of the participating small farmers affected by the recent typhoons, Ramon Uy Jr., Slow Food Councilor for Southeast Asia, said Friday, Nov. 14.
The farmers will be the stars of TMAP 2025, Uy said.
The participating countries are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Palau, Samoa, South Korea, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor Leste, USA, Vanuatu and Vietnam.
Terra Madre brings together farmers, chefs, academies, and consumers to support biodiversity, food sovereignty, and a more sustainable food system.
TMAP 2025 is the first regional edition in the Asia-Pacific, uniting diverse voices to celebrate these values and strengthen local food movements, Uy said.
They want everybody to have access to good, clean, and fair food, Uy said.
Reena Gamboa, TMAP 2025 Executive Director, stressed the use of ingredients unique to Negros in slow food dishes to be among those to be showcased at the event.
She said a mapping of ingredients unique to the region was conducted to ensure that they are not forgotten.
TMAP 2025 will be open for free to the public and the food will be affordable for all, Gamboa said.
Bacolod plays a big role as the Slow Food Hub of Asia and the Pacific, while Negros is the Organic Capital of the Philippines, Uy said.
Uy and Gamboa were joined at a TMAP 2025 press conference at May’s Garden by Bacolod Vice Mayor Kalaw Puentevella and councilors Jason Villarosa, Em Ang, Celia Flor, Jude Thadeus Sayson and Homer Bais, and Krisma Rodriguez, tourism regional director for Western Visayas and Negros Island Region.*