Abuna Melekesedek school garden

Slow Food in Ethiopia

Slow Food has been active in Ethiopia since 2006, launching numerous projects in support of the most vulnerable local communities: nomadic herders, traditional forest beekeepers, wild coffee harvesters, indigenous groups and others. Through the Presidia and working with the communities, training activities have been run to strengthen the organization of small-scale producers and to promote and improve the quality of various foods like honey, camel milk, coffee, traditional grains and spices. Slow Food coordinators promote agroecological techniques—applying them in school and community food gardens—in the most diverse ecosystems, from forests and highlands to nature reserves and semi-arid zones. They are also working to save biodiversity and traditional knowledge. A number of educational projects have objectives that include the involvement of young people and women and awareness-raising around themes of strategic importance at a national and international level: the privatization of resources, the use of toxic chemicals in agriculture, the right to land. Educational materials have been produced in Amharic and Oromo, the main local languages. Every year, Ethiopian delegates participate in Slow Food’s international events (Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre, Indigenous Terra Madre, Cheese, Terra Madre Giovani and more) as well as other events thanks to collaborations with different organizations.