THE 16TH EDITION of the Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival is slated for Nov. 15 to 19 in Bacolod City, alongside the 1st Terra Madre Visayas which focuses on the idea of “slow food.” Both will be held at the Provincial Capitol grounds, North Capitol Road, Negros Residences, and the Food Terminal Market of Occidental Negros (FTMON).
The first Terra Madre Visayas is a partnership among the Slow Food Community of Negros, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Slow Food International, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Department of Tourism, and the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental.
The event aims to unite food communities, the academe, youth delegates, and stakeholders to promote small-scale, traditional, and sustainable food production, according to Reena Gamboa, president of Slow Food Community of Negros Island.
Delegates from various Slow Food communities across the Visayas are slated to participate, alongside representatives from Slow Food International Italy, Director General Paolo di Croce and Director for Asia and the Pacific Elena Aniere.
The central theme, “Visayas: Food and Culture Biodiversity,” underscores the festival’s commitment to eco-friendly farming practices.
LONGEST RUNNING ORGANIC FEST
The provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental have hosted the Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival, the longest-running organic festival in the Philippines and in Asia, since 2006.
This year’s theme for the Organic Farmers Festival is “Regeneration for Future Generations” which will highlight the importance of eco-friendly farming practices, emphasizing the concept of sustainable regenerative farming.
The festival’s Organic Fair and Exhibit will showcase the best of organic offerings, including farm produce, products, and merchandise.
The festival includes cook fests, caravans, cultural performances, talent nights, and awards ceremonies, along with seminars, workshops, and conventions on topics ranging from sustainable regenerative farming and fishing, indigenous practices, organic agriculture, and water conservation, among many others.
The inaugural Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival took place in 2006, followed by the formation of ONOPRA (Organik na Negros! Organic Producers and Retailers Association) a year later. The festival was put on hold in 2020 and 2021 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic but returned in 2022.
Organic and slow food celebrated in Negros festivals
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