Brussels will welcome the 'Terra Madre Europe' ('Mother Earth' market) event from 22 to 24 June, according to the organisers, Slow Food, on Thursday. The event will feature discussions with culinary experts as well as food tastings.
Farmers, artisans, chefs, policymakers and activists will discuss the future of food policy across Europe, marking the occasion with the launch of Belgium's first market dedicated to the "slow food" model in the capital.
This first Belgian 'Mother Earth' market will open on 22 June at Be-Here, near Tour and Taxis, featuring around 20 local producers offering artisanal and seasonal goods from environmentally-friendly agriculture.
The market aims to be more than just a retail space; it will also serve as a forum for interaction between consumers, producers and chefs, with fun activities on offer. Belgian chefs, part of the Slow Food Chefs' Alliance, will prepare a special dinner using fresh market ingredients.
"Our goal is to replicate these markets at least four times a year in Brussels and expand them into Wallonia and Flanders," explained Yannick Schandené, coordinator of the 'Mother Earth' market in Brussels.
Monday 23 June will focus on the strategic development of the Slow Food network, as participants gather to outline the movement's shared priorities. The final day, 24 June, will celebrate agroecology and highlight committed European chefs.
The movement hopes to establish this meeting as a regular continental event rooted in Brussels. "Brussels allows us to effectively communicate our advocacy to European institutions, to accelerate the transition to agroecology, firmly linked to local communities and biodiversity," concluded Marta Messa, Secretary General of Slow Food.
Slow Food is a global movement of local activists and groups which aims to ensure that people have access to "good, clean and fair" food. It was founded in 1986 in Italy and is now active in over 160 countries.
More information on the Brussels event can be found online.
