The decision was made on Sunday during the Assembly of Slow Food Convivia in France.
The reunion of French Slow Food Convivia (groups) was wrapped up on Sunday in Gap, in the Hautes-Alpes region of France. The meeting was organized to coincide with the Know-how and Flavors of the mountains event, which was an important get together aimed at revitalizing the Slow Food network in France as well as discussing how the French network engages with the Slow Food movement’s strategic themes.
The meeting was attended by several representatives of the governing bodies of Slow Food International and the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, and was led by Mélanie Fauconnier, member of the International Slow Food Council for France.
At the meetings it was decided that the label “Slow Food Presidium” would be added to products that are already part of this project in France. Obviously, this is a process that will take time and require both an awareness campaign and close collaboration with Presidium producers, who will be supported by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity.
The Presidium projects aim to support high quality products at risk of disappearing, protect unique regions and ecosystems, revive traditional production techniques, and safeguard indigenous breeds and local plant varieties.
Each project requires a community of small-scale producers and offers help with such things as: technical support for the improvement of production quality, the identification of new points of sale, and the organization of international exchange.
Each Presidium project has a specific “production protocol” that is drawn up with the producers themselves. This protocol is fundamental in assuring complete transparency at all stages of the product’s production, as well as certifying the food’s artisanal production and high quality.
The label “Slow Food Presidium” is granted at the end of this process and allows the products to be easily recognizable on the market. It will also promote and integrate them into the network of good, clean and fair products that Slow Food is currently establishing. At present there are more than 400 Presidia in over 60 countries throughout the world.
At Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre 2014, which will take place in Turin from 23 to 27 October, a program will be announced for the next step of this exciting development.