Slow Cider Coalition at Terra Madre

Slow Food Coalitions: New Ecosystems for Change.

Many people have heard of the nonprofit organization Slow Food, but fewer know much about what it does. Slow Food was founded about forty years ago, based on a manifesto written by a small group of Italians alarmed by the loss of local and traditional foods and food culture, and by the homogenization of food promoted by an industrialized global agri-food industry.

Today the organization supports a wide range of projects and networks involving thousands of mostly volunteers in 160 countries. Campaigns include planting school gardens, safeguarding animal welfare, and decolonizing food. Projects include training in sustainable farming practices and fisheries; a catalog of unique animal breeds, plant varieties, and food products called the Ark of Taste; political advocacy programs addressing climate change and the right to access good, clean, and fair food; and much more. Which

is to say that the work of the organization has had a profound impact on the way that many people interact with food today, whether they realize it or not.

Cider and perry have had their small place in Slow Food almost from the beginning. There are historic apples and perry pears in the Ark of Taste and the related but more focused Presidia– Gravenstein and Newtown Pippin, to name just two. There is a Presidia dedicated to the

Basque cider tradition, recognizing it as unique and worth preserving. Now Slow Food has taken one step further with the creation of the Slow Food Cider Coalition, publicly announced at Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2026 in Torino, Italy, at the end of September. Slow Food

coalitions are global networks of parties that span the supply chain from growers and makers to sellers and advocates, created to foster authentic, sustainable, and place-based products. A

manifesto expressing the values espoused by the Slow Food Cider Coalition can be found on the Slow Food website (www.slowfood.com/thematic-network/slow-food-cider-coalition/), including an emphasis on using sustainably grown local apples, especially those of regional importance, production practices that give a cider a sense of place, and the fair treatment of workers and the community.

Cider has been poured at Terra Madre in the past, but this time cider producers and advocates had a dedicated space for pouring products from around the world as well as five masterclasses covering ciders of the American West; a pan-European tasting and discussion around perry; Italian co-ferments; cider traditions in Belgium, France, and Italy; and the ciders and traditional apple varieties of Northern Portugal. Each class was at capacity with a mix of attendees from around the globe. (Terra Madre attracts around 250,000 people from more

than 125 countries over its four-day span.) Some were dedicated cider enthusiasts; many knew nothing about cider but were eager to learn. The new coalition is off to a great start, and plans are forming for the future, including an event in the U.K. in March 2027 and Terra Madre

Americas in Sacramento, California, at the end of next September.

Stay tuned!