Regina Troy Barrios

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Terra Madre Asia Pacific 2025

<div><strong></strong><strong>Terra Madre is coming to Asia, and it’s coming first to Negros.</strong></div><p>For the first time in its history, the world’s most important gathering on food, farming, and sustainability is expanding beyond its Italian roots. <a href="https://www.slowfood.com/events/terra-madre-asia-pacific/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Terra Madre Asia-Pacific</strong></a>, the first regional edition of <a href="https://www.slowfood.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Slow Food International’s</strong></a> landmark event, <strong>Terra Madre</strong>, is happening this <strong>November 19 to 23, 2025 in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental</strong>. This will be the first event of its kind on this side of the world. Its theme: <strong>“From Soil to Sea: A Slow Food Journey Through Tastes &amp; Traditions.”</strong></p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17544503331172025-08-04_TERRA Poster 1.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">A bold invitation: Terra Madre Asia Pacific comes to Bacolod in 2025 </span></span></span></div><h2><strong>How did this happen?</strong></h2><p>It began with a subtle but steady build. Terra Madre Visayas, hosted in Bacolod in 2023 and again in 2024, served as a proving ground for the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SlowFoodNegros" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Slow Food Community in Negros</strong></a><strong></strong>. These homegrown festivals demonstrated the region’s capacity to gather farmers, chefs, fishers, Indigenous leaders, and youth in meaningful dialogue around biodiversity and food heritage.     </p><p>Then in October 2024, the Philippines was formally selected to host the Asia-Pacific edition. When Slow Food International president Edward Mukiibi announced it in Turin, he confirmed that Bacolod had become the official<strong> Slow Food Hub for Asia and the Pacific.</strong></p><p>“This is a turning point not just for Slow Food in the Philippines, but for the entire region. Terra Madre Asia &amp; Pacific is a space where grassroots wisdom can shape policy, tradition can spark innovation, and the lived experiences of communities take their rightful place in shaping our global food future,” adds Ramon “Chin Chin” Uy Jr., Slow Food Councilor for Southeast Asia, who chairs the executive committee. “It’s time for Asia and the Pacific to take center stage in the global sustainable food conversation.”</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754450810159Terra Madre Visayas.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">In 2024, Terra Madre Visayas brought communities together to share, cook, and connect | Photo: Slow Food Negros </span></span></span></div><h2><strong>Why Negros?</strong></h2><p>To someone unfamiliar with the island’s food history, the choice may feel arbitrary. But there’s an elegant logic to it.</p><p>Negros—especially Negros Occidental—has long been home to a thriving local food ecosystem. Slow Food Negros, founded in 2012, is now the most active Slow Food community in the Philippines.</p><p>Ramon Uy points out that Negros has been hosting organic food festivals as far back as 2006, and its networks of farmers, food activists, and cultural advocates are strong and well-established—hard to replicate overnight elsewhere in Asia.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754450830218slow-food-terra-1753269861.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Negros’ Ramon Uy takes the local food story global in Turin | Photo: Slow Food International</span></span></span></div><h2><strong>Why we need Slow Food in this fast world</strong></h2><p>At its core, the Slow Food movement champions local food, ancestral techniques, and high-quality ingredients grown in small-scale systems. Founded in Italy in 1986, Slow Food now spans 160 member countries, including the Philippines.</p><p>The Terra Madre gatherings—biennial by nature—are its global forum for farmers, chefs, herders, educators, Indigenous leaders, and activists. They serve not just to taste local dishes, but to steer conversations about food policy, heritage preservation, and biodiversity.</p><p>Modeled after<a href="https://2024.terramadresalonedelgusto.com/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong> Terra Madre Salone del Gusto</strong></a> in Turin, Italy, Slow Food’s global biennial summit, this regional edition aims to:</p><ol><li>Showcase the Philippines&#x27; gastronomy, food biodiversity, and cultural heritage;</li><li>Foster cross-border collaboration among food producers, chefs, youth, and Indigenous communities;</li><li>Build public awareness around ethical foodways, climate resilience, and sustainable agriculture;</li><li>Reinforce the Department of Tourism’s commitment to positioning the Philippines as a global gastronomy destination.</li></ol><ul><li id="isPasted">During an event in Tagaytay this July, Uy spoke about the hidden costs of chemically grown food—an estimated ₱200,000 per ton to clean up environmental damage—and argued that organic farming, while sometimes more expensive upfront, is far less so in the long run.</li></ul><div><br/></div><h2><strong>Who’s cooking this up</strong></h2><p>This will be a significant event supported by Philippine government agencies, including the Department of Tourism, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Trade and Industry, as well as regional governments like Bacolod City and Negros Occidental. International partners, such as Slow Food International, play a key role in organizing the event, with potential support from organizations like the International Fund for Agricultural Development. </p><p>Attendance is expected to top 2,000 delegates, drawn from farmers, fishers, chefs, and artisans across Asia-Pacific. While specific names of participating chefs are being held under wraps, organizers confirm that several chefs ranked among the “50 Best in Asia” and the Philippines are committed to take part.</p><p>Here&#x27;s the bigger picture. For Negros, it’s a moment of leadership—proof that an island born of sugar can host one of the world’s most important food gatherings. For the Philippines, it’s a chance to reclaim our food story through soil, seed, and farmer-led wisdom. And for Asia-Pacific, it’s a long-overdue invitation to speak for itself—through Indigenous foodways, heirloom ingredients, and cross-border collaboration.</p><div><br/></div><h2 id="isPasted"><strong>How to participate</strong></h2><p>There’s still time before November 2025. Whether you&#x27;re a delegate, a sponsor, a collaborator, or a curious food lover, the invitation is open. Delegate applications may be sent to nichole@slowfoodnegros.com. For partnerships or sponsorships, contact frauline@slowfoodnegros.com.</p><p>Attend. Listen. Learn. Support the farmers, fishers, fermenters, and seed savers. If Terra Madre in Negros teaches us anything, it’s this: the future of food is not just global—it is local, generational, and urgent. And it begins when we show up.</p>

<p>The food world will converge as the historic, first-ever Terra Madre Asia-Pacific launches in the Philippines this November—here’s what to know.</p>

The food world will converge as the historic, first-ever Terra Madre Asia-Pacific launches in the Philippines this November—here’s what to know.

Why Is Asia’s Most Important Slow Food Gathering Coming To Bacolod?

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Why Is Asia’s Most Important Slow Food Gathering Coming To Bacolod?

Troy Barrios

Published Aug 05, 2025 01:45 PM PHT

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Updated Aug 06, 2025 03:04 PM PHT

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terra madre asia pacific

slow food philippines

ramon chinchin uy

sustainable agriculture

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filipino food heritage

farm to table negros

culinary biodiversity

traditional food knowledge

local food systems

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