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| Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity |
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22/04/2009 |
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Official Agreement Between Earth Markets in Tuscany and Lebanon to be Signed in Beirut
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From April 27-30, the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity will participate in HORECA 2009, the annual fair for the Middle Eastern hotel, restaurant and catering industry, held in Beirut, Lebanon. One of the biggest fairs of its kind in the region, HORECA 2009 represents a unique opportunity for the Slow Food Foundation to promote its Earth Markets project, the worldwide network of Slow Food farmers’ markets where small-scale producers can present and sell their foods directly to consumers..jpg)
In Lebanon, Earth Markets have been developed as part of a wider sustainable rural development project financed by the Directorate General for Development Cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperazione Italiana. The project was implemented by the NGO Ucodep in collaboration with the Slow Food Foundation and Slow Food Beirut, within the framework of the ROSS Programme of the Embassy of Italy in Beirut.
Participation in the fair is only one component of a four-day event organized by Slow Food Beirut.
On Wednesday April 29 a press conference will be held at 5 pm in the Biel conference room which will see the signing of an important exchange and mutual support agreement between the Tuscan and Lebanese Earth Markets. In attendance will be the Italian Ambassador in Beirut, Gabriele Checchia.
The press conference will be followed by a discussion event entitled “Food and Rural Landscape” organized by Slow Food Beirut and the American University of Beirut, looking at how shortening food supply chains can serve as an engine for a sustainable rural development.
The Slow Food Foundation and Slow Food Beirut will host a 60-square-meter stand for producers and products from Earth Markets in Lebanon and Tuscany (Montevarchi, San Miniato and Porcari). Presidia products from these regions will also be showcased. Presidia are Slow Food projects that support quality foods at risk of extinction. There are currently 300 Presidia in 42 countries around the world — with over 170 in Italy — set up to protect artisanal producers, safeguard rare breeds at risk of extinction and save traditional products.
A wide range of Italian Presidia products such as Salina Capers and Trapani Artisan Sea Salt, and international Presidia like Mananara Vanilla from Madagascar and Ixcàn Cardamom from Guatemala, will be on display at the stands. HORECA 2009 also offers the ideal opportunity for Slow Food Beirut to present its new Presidium, Freekeh of Jabal ‘Amel, an unusual green wheat.
Slow Food’s space will also include an institutional stand representing the initiative’s partners: the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Tuscany Regional Authority and Slow Food Tuscany.
In addition to the display area, every day a delegation of Lebanese and Italian chefs from the Terra Madre network will be presenting specialties from their homeland at the Salone Culinaire, located in the middle of the fair. They include internationally renewed chefs such as Ciccio Sultano (Il Duomo, Ragusa, Sicily), Simone Rugiati (Yacht Club, Porto Cervo, Sardinia) and Joe Barza (Chase International Restaurant, Beirut).
On Tuesday April 28, producers from Tuscany will have a special opportunity to sell their products at the Beirut Earth Market, in the central area of Hamra.
The participation of Slow Food Beirut at Horeca was made possible thanks to the support of the ROSS Programme of the Italian Cooperation and the support of the Tuscany Regional Government, Ucodep Ngo, ICU and the valuable help of the Italian Embassy in Beirut.
For more information:
Slow Food Beirut
Myriam Abou Haidar, Operations Manager
Myriam.abouhaidar@slowfoodbeirut.org
+961 3 528 474
Walid Ataya, President
w.ataya@breadrepublic.com
+961 3 633 898
Slow Food Press Office
Luca Bernardini
l.bernardini@slowfood.it
+39 0172 419 612
Press Office – Embassy of Italy Beirut
Tel: +961 (0)5 954955
press.beirut@esteri.it
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