Terra Madre Salone del Gusto: over a thousand events celebrating biodiversity
In the year marking the passing of founder Carlin Petrini, an increasingly widespread and inclusive event is set to begin in Turin, 40 years on from the founding of Slow Food
“Carlin, we’ve almost made it. A year ago, you called us together, you brought us together in Pollenzo and told us about the event you’d like to see in 2026. ‘For our 40th anniversary,’ you told us, ‘we must celebrate our association’s most important work: that of saving biodiversity. No visitor should return home without having understood the value of biodiversity and the increasingly urgent need to save it’.
These are the words that Serena Milano, director of Slow Food, used to present the 2026 edition of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto, which gets underway today, 24 September, and runs until 27 September in Turin; it can only begin with a tribute to Carlo – Carlin – Petrini, the man who started it all, who passed away last May.
This will be the 16th edition of Terra Madre, but also the 30th since the first Salone del Gusto and marks 40 years since the founding of Slow Food, which has had an indelible influence on the way we now view everything centred on the culture of good food – from agriculture to chefs – whilst respecting differences and safeguarding against standardisation and, indeed, promoting diversity (not just organic). Biodiversity – Be Diversity will in fact be the slogan for this edition, which celebrates the value of biodiversity in all its forms: natural, agricultural, gastronomic, cultural and social.
“You asked us to make this edition intimate and walkable,” continued Serena Milano. “Anyone arriving by train at Porta Nuova will embark on a journey into the world of food and, at the same time, a stroll through one of Italia’s most beautiful historic centres. Our work is, first and foremost, to restore dignity and pride to the guardians of biodiversity. And so it is only right to open our most prestigious venue to them, to bring them into the heart of the city. And thanks to your tenacity, which never wavered right up until the very last day, we will have with us at the opening ceremony the highest office of the state: the President of the Italian Republic.”
There will be more than 1,000 events on the programme, making this edition of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto – organised in collaboration with the City of Turin and the Piedmont Region, and thanks to the support of institutions and companies – an increasingly popular event.
At the heart of the event is the large Terra Madre Market, which brings together hundreds of exhibitors from all regions of Italia and from various countries around the world, including many Presidia. Among the key features will be the products of the Arca del Gusto and the communities that safeguard and promote them on a daily basis; the spaces dedicated to thematic networks (Slow Grains, Slow Mais, Slow Beans, Slow Rice and Slow Olive), as well as the Terre Alte—featuring the network of chestnut growers—and urban food policies, in the Feeding the World’s Cities area.
Central to the event will be around 200 talks covering a range of topical issues – from food to sustainability, from agriculture to social justice, right through to food policies – accompanied by the Taste Workshops and events featuring the cooks of the Slow Food Alliance and the organisers of the Slow Food Travel itineraries.
To celebrate Slow Food’s 40th anniversary, there will be an extensive programme of meetings with writers, farmers, chefs, journalists, actors, scientists and philosophers. There will also be educational activities designed for young and old alike, the Slow Bees initiatives, which focus on the world of bees and pollinators, and the Coalitions dedicated to wine (featuring the customary Terra Madre Wine Shop), coffee, cocoa and ciders.
Here are a few figures to give you an idea of what’s in store in Turin: visitors will be able to discover over 130 Slow Food Presidia, 12 of which are making their debut from Italia; the Market will feature more than 600 exhibitors, producers, artisans, street food vendors and craft breweries, 40 of which are from abroad; 65 Taste Workshops; 60 Dining Events; 400 events scheduled in the spaces of the Partners, Regions and other institutions present at the event; around 30 meetings organised by the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo; over 50 chefs in attendance; 90 organisations in Turin (neighbourhood centres, cultural venues, associations, restaurants, etc.) are hosting Terra Madre Off activities; more than 300 labels from Italian producers belonging to the Slow Wine Coalition who are part of the Banca del Vino project.
