Terra Madre 2026: Slow Food and the right to food as food sovereignty

"The right to food does not only have to do with its consumption, with filling a plate or the shelves of a shop: it concerns access to knowledge, to land, to resources, to water, to seeds". This was said by Edward Mukiibi, president of Slow Food, speaking at Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2026, in Turin until 27 September.

Food is "linked to an ethical dimension, that of people's rights". "And if we talk about the right to food, it is inevitable to question ourselves about respect for food sovereignty - specifies Francesco Sottile, agronomist and vice-president of Slow Food Italy -. They are concepts that complement each other, and which have nothing to do with nationalism and protectionism, much less with the supply chains that regulate the food systems that dominate today".

"We could say that food sovereignty is the condition of a community that has rights over food - explained Raj Patel, British economist, author and activist for food justice, speaking at Terra Madre Salone del Gusto -. In other words: if they enjoy food sovereignty, communities have the power to define how they want the way in which food reaches them".

"Power acts by normalizing what should not be normal - added Patel - so today we find ourselves thinking that the fact that people suffer from hunger because they cannot afford to eat is normal. Eight hundred years ago, medieval law provided that food became a common wealth, which could be accessed in case of need.

Today capitalism has meant that common goods no longer exist: the right to food has been denied by the right to private property. Increased hunger is the price you pay for letting private property run rampant, and the additional price is allowing big multinational corporations to destroy the environment. Until we address this systemic problem, until we realize that the right to food requires de-normalizing private property, we will not be able to address this problem."