PRESS RELEASE issued by Slow Food Sighusoara & Fundatia ADEPT Transylvania

The first Slow Food Convivium in Romania was formally established in Sighisoara on 27 July 2005 and the inaugural dinner will be held at the Casa cu Cerb on 15 September, including representatives of Slow Food Oxfordshire, UK. The ADEPT Foundation, dedicated to conservation of Transylvania’s natural heritage in a way that benefits local people, has stimulated this process as part of its policy to improve the market for traditional products in Romania.

BACKGROUND

Founded in Romania in 2004, the ADEPT Foundation aims to conserve the internationally-important biodiversity of south-eastern Transylvania, in cooperation with local communities. It is implementing a programme through which local people obtain economic and social benefits from the conservation of the area. Traditional land use and rich biodiversity is reflected in the taste and flavour of traditional foods; for example, dairy products from the large areas of flower-rich grasslands. The introduction of Slow Food to the area is one way ADEPT Foundation is giving practical help to local producers.

Founded in 1986 in Italy, Slow Food became an international non-profit organisation in 1989 and is currently made up of nearly 1,000 convivia, or chapters, whose vast network of over 80,000 members in over 100 countries is the greatest strength of the movement.

Through its understanding of gastronomy with relation to politics, agriculture and the environment, Slow Food has become an active player in agriculture and ecology. The association’s activities seek to defend biodiversity in our food supply, spread the education of taste, and link producers of excellent foods to consumers through events and initiatives.

Extracted from a speech delivered on 27^th August 2005 by Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food

“Originally Slow Food was about gastronomy. It had members who didn’t worry too much about what was going on in the bigger world. It was more interested in food and wine. However, it is important for Slow Food to destroy this narrow view of gastronomy. We need a balance between gastronomy and the environment. We need to focus on a new form of gastronomy.

Gastronomy is a complex area. It is agriculture, animal husbandry, anthropology, stories, history, cultures of people, sociology, economics, medicine, health and politics.

Food quality needs to meet a number of criteria:

1. Goodness. For quality food must be good to taste. Goodness is linked to culture. Food is based on the foods and knowledge of the society. We can learn to taste but we need to have respect for cultures and their tastes and respect differences.

2. Cleanliness. It isn’t good if food destroys the eco system. This is where Slow Food is different to other food organisations. Other food organisations just want good food. Slow Food wants respect for the environment as well.

3. Fairness. There is a right to respect producers. A need to give producers dignityand respect. If producers receive unfair low prices then it isn’t good food under the Slow Food philosophy.

So we need all three criteria to satisfy what is good food. It is very important to have a link between the producers and consumers. We need a united front to. People need to know the integrity of their food.”

In July 2005, following a visit to Transylvania organised by the ADEPT Foundation, the President of the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity has agreed that a range of fruit preserves from Transylvania should become a Slow Food Presidium that receives marketing assistance from Slow Food. Bunesti and Saschiz commune fruit preserve producers will be invited to present their produce at the Salone del Gusto, and more producers from the region will participate in Terra Madre, a world meeting of food communities, both events organized by Slow Food in Italy , in October 2006.

From 1-4 September 2005, Cristi Gherghiceanu, as representative of the S E Transylvania Fruit Preserve presidium, was invited by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity to a meeting held in Florence, where the official Foundation headquarters is located. During this meeting, participants listened to other collaborators and experts from various fields (animal husbandry, horticulture, dairy, food production legislation and food technology).

In addition to fruit preserves, a number of other products form S E Transylvania were approved to be in the Ark of Taste, the official Slow Food list of traditional products that should be protected and encouraged. Slow Food’s international Ark list now includes: cheeses (brinza de burduf, sheep milk telemea, buffalo milk cascaval, urda whey cheese); Pork Liver Sausages (caltabosi), fruit jams and Green walnut jam, all of which derive a unique character from the rich flower meadows of the area.

From 14-18 September 2005, twelve members of Slow Food Oxfordshire, UK will visit the area as the first food tourists. The group will spend two nights in Sighisoara, two nights in Viscri and one night in Bucharest. Food tourism brings people to the area to enjoy the flavour and quality of traditionally produced food, linking biodiversity, culture and landscape and the hospitality of the Romanian village. Further groups will visit in 2006.

These activities will all help to improve the market for local producers, linked to conservation of natural heritage.

For further information visit: www.slowfood.com and www.adeptfoundation.org