25th September, 2026
The new initiatives join the
Slow Food Coffee Coalition and Slow Wine Coalition, creating
a global network connecting producers, traders, hospitality
professionals and consumers around biodiversity, fair value
chains and local knowledge.
What do cacao
farmers in tropical forests, traditional cider makers and
bartenders have in common? More than it might appear. They
all depend on biodiversity, local knowledge and fair value
chains increasingly threatened by climate change, market
concentration and the standardization of food and drink
production.
Against this scenario, Slow Food
launches three new global Coalitions during Terra Madre
Salone del Gusto 2026: the Slow Food Cacao Coalition, the
Slow Food Cider Coalition and the Slow Food Drinks
Coalition, expanding a growing international network which
already includes the Slow Food Coffee and Slow Wine
Coalitions, that brings together everyone involved in a
value chain, from producers and processors to traders,
hospitality professionals, researchers and
consumers.
“Whether we are talking about cacao,
cider, coffee, wine or cocktails, the challenges are
connected,” said Edie Mukiibi, President of Slow
Food. “Biodiversity loss, unfair value distribution
and climate pressures cannot be tackled by one group alone.
The Coalitions are built on a simple idea: when producers,
processors, traders, hospitality professionals and consumers
work together, they become a powerful force for
change.”
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Together, the existing Coalitions
represent thousands of people connected by a common goal:
building food and drink systems that protect biodiversity,
strengthen local economies and ensure a fairer distribution
of value along the supply chain.
At a time when
agricultural biodiversity continues to decline, and many
small-scale producers face increasing economic pressure, the
Coalitions offer a collaborative model that goes beyond
individual sectors. By connecting actors who rarely share
the same space, they foster knowledge exchange, collective
action and new opportunities for
cooperation.
The Slow
Food Cacao Coalition brings together cacao
producers, chocolate makers, traders, researchers, food
professionals and consumers working to promote agroforestry
systems, transparency and fair commercial relationships
while increasing recognition for the communities and
territories where cacao originates.
The Slow
Food Cider Coalition focuses on protecting
traditional apple varieties, supporting small-scale cider
makers and safeguarding the knowledge, landscapes and
cultural heritage embedded in cider-producing regions. Its
members work to strengthen biodiversity, resilient orchards
and fair value chains while promoting cider rooted in place
and identity.
The Slow
Drinks Coalition brings
Slow Food’s good, clean and fair principles into the world
of beverages and hospitality. The network connects
bartenders, beverage professionals and producers committed
to ethical sourcing, local ingredients, sustainable
agriculture and more responsible hospitality practices,
while encouraging stronger links between bars, producers and
local food systems.
The Coalition builds on Slow
Food’s collaboration with the Negroni Week initiative, which
has helped support scholarships, professional exchanges and
innovative projects that strengthen sustainability,
inclusivity and community across the global hospitality
sector.
Throughout Terra Madre Salone del Gusto,
visitors may explore the Coalitions
area where tastings, meetings and workshops highlight
the stories, products and people behind cacao, coffee,
cider, spirits and wine.
Designed as both an
educational space and a marketplace, the area brings
together delegates from around the world, including farmers,
Indigenous Peoples, producers, buyers, experts and
hospitality professionals. By tracing products back to their
origins, visitors discover how everyday choices connect to
biodiversity, cultural heritage and livelihoods across
different continents.
The launch of the three
new Coalitions marks a significant step in Slow Food’s
broader effort to build alliances capable of transforming
food and drink systems from the ground up, proving that
meaningful change begins when entire value chains work
together rather than in isolation.
Partners
of the Slow Food Coffee Coalition are Fondazione
Lavazza and Sanremo
Coffee Machines.
The Slow Food
Coalitions Area at Terra Madre 2026 is supported by: W.K
Kellogg Foundation, Domori, Sanremo Coffee Machines, BWT
Water + More, Erbalatte, MiiR,
Manitese.
Besides being a partner
of the Slow Food Coalition Area at Terra Madre, Domori,
a renowned Piedmont-based company and a globally recognized
leader in the world of chocolate, shares and actively
supports the values of the Cacao
Coalition.
Useful Links for
Journalists
- Conference programme: https://2026.terramadresalonedelgusto.com/en/conferences/
- Speakers
and biographies: https://2026.terramadresalonedelgusto.com/en/speakers/ - Press
area (press releases and images): https://2026.terramadresalonedelgusto.com/en/press/ - Terra
Madre Salone del Gusto 2026: https://2026.terramadresalonedelgusto.com/en/ - Biodiversity
– Be Diversity: https://2026.terramadresalonedelgusto.com/en/biodiversity-at-the-center/ - Slow
Food Participants’ Assembly 2026: https://www.slowfood.com/events/slow-food-participants-assembly-2026/
The
2026 edition of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto is made
possible thanks to the support of institutions and companies
that have already confirmed their commitment to the event.
The event’s Main Partners are Acqua S. Bernardo, BBBell,
Camera di Commercio di Torino, Iren, Pastificio Di Martino,
QBA – Quality Beer Academy and Reale Mutua. In-kind
Partners are Bormioli Luigi, Coop Italia, IP Industrie and
NTT DATA Italia; Green Partners are Consorzio Ricrea and
PEFC Italia; and Area Partners are Alberto Marchetti, Arix
Professional, Baratti & Milano, Caffè Costadoro,
Consorzio del Parmigiano Reggiano, Sebach and Tucano.
Federalberghi Torino is the Hospitality Partner, while Bus
Company is the Mobility Partner. Turismo Torino e Provincia
also collaborates with the event. Nikon is the Media Partner
and the Central Institute for Intangible Heritage (ICPI) is
the Cultural Partner. The event is also held under the
patronage of MASAF and ISMEA, with the support of Fondazione
Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT, Consulta delle
Fondazioni di origine bancaria del Piemonte e della Liguria,
and with contributions from the European Union, the LIFE
Programme, IFAD, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Tamalpais
Trust, Meatless Monday, IILA and
GIZ.
