Forty years of battles for biodiversity, territorial valorization, and cultural revolutions linked to the world of food and wine. Born in 1986 in Bra from an intuition of Carlo Petrini, the movement Slow Food celebrates a historic milestone in 2026 which coincides with the 16th edition of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto.
From the September 24-27, 2026, the heart of Turin and in particular the Immersive Room of the Gallerie d'Italia (in Piazza San Carlo) will become the stage for an exceptional programme: “Forty voices for forty years”. Four days dedicated to retracing the movement's history, analyzing its most successful insights, and charting future challenges related to sustainability, food, and local culture.
Organized by Slow Food, the Piedmont Region, and the City of Turin, the event will once again transform the Piedmontese capital into the world capital of "good, clean, and fair" food.
40 Years of a Gastronomic Revolution: The Gallerie d'Italia's Program
The special program hosted at the Gallerie d'Italia brings together farmers, chefs from the Alliance, intellectuals, artists, journalists, and young activists from over 120 countries. A journey divided into thematic meetings and discussions open to the public.
Thursday, September 24: The seeds of the future and today's youth
The event opens at 2.30pm with the presentation of the 18 Atlases of the Ark of Taste of the Italian regions, a monumental work resulting from thirty years of research on Italian agri-food biodiversity.
At 4.30 pm, the meeting “The future is already here”, hosted by the radio voice Massimo Cirri, will compare the journalist and militant historian Luciana Castellina with young farmers, shepherds and students of the Slow Food network.
Friday, September 25: Kitchen Alliances and the Value of the Garden
Friday 25th September we start at 10.30am with “The Roots of an Alliance”, a profound reflection on the history of Italian cuisines and the practices of chefs which will see the food historian on stage Massimo Montanari supported by chefs from the Slow Food Alliance, including Piero Alciati and Tiziana Favi.
In the early afternoon, attention will shift to “The garden as a third landscape”, exploring the impact of environmental education projects with director Anna Kauber and literary critic Roberta Mazzanti.
Saturday, September 26: Food Sovereignty, Podcasts, and Taste Design
Saturday will address the issues of globalized food identity with “At the Roots of Taste” (12:30 pm), featuring contributions from ethnobotanist Benedetta Gori and chef Mareme Cisse.
At 2:30 pm, Mario Calabresi (director of Chora Media) will present 40Pod, a choral story in audio format that retraces the association's greatest battles. Following, panels dedicated to the “Design of Taste”, with guests such as the baker Fulvio Marino and the artist Mona Caron, and a debate on the vision of modern society led by the president of Slow Food Italy, Barbara Nappini, together with the actor Paul Hendel.
Sunday, September 27: Cinema, music, and closing with Moni Ovadia and Lella Costa
The last day begins with the screening and debate on the documentary film Slow Food Story by Stefano Sardo (12.30 pm), followed by the meeting “The land and the music” with the trumpeter Roy Paci and ethnomusicologists of the caliber of Ettore Castagna.
The 40th anniversary celebrations will close with the 4pm event entitled “Good, clean and fair”: a great appeal to "sow utopia to reap reality" interpreted by the extraordinary theatrical voices of Moni Ovadia e Lella Costa.
The indissoluble link between food, culture and lifestyle
Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2026 is not only a meeting place for over 600 producers of the International Market, but it demonstrates how Slow Food's intuition has been able to contaminate complex fields over the years: from sustainable fashion (with the project Slow Fiber) to architecture, up to the promotion of a convivial daily slowness.
Celebrating 40 years means taking stock of what has been saved, from agri-food Presidia to native breeds, and how food remains the primary political and cultural tool for interpreting our present.
How to participate in Terra Madre 2026 events
All the events of the celebratory cycle at the Gallerie d'Italia in Turin are free entry upon reservation, while seats last, directly on the event's official website (2026.terramadresalonedelgusto.com). An unmissable opportunity for lovers of food and wine culture, sustainability, and great storytelling.
Photo credit: Terra Madre Salone del Gusto
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