In a landmark moment for the global food movement, Bacolod City is set to host the first-ever Terra Madre Asia & Pacific this November 19–23, 2025 — a monumental gathering that promises to reshape the conversation around food, sustainability, and culture in the region.
Long held in Turin, Italy, Terra Madre — the flagship event of Slow Food International — is coming to Asia and the Pacific for the very first time, and Bacolod will take center stage as the host city. The event, themed “From Soil to Sea: A Slow Food Journey Through Tastes & Traditions,” is expected to attract hundreds of delegates including farmers, fishers, chefs, youth leaders, Indigenous elders, policymakers, and cultural workers from across the region.
What sets this year’s edition apart is not just its new geography, but the deeper purpose it aims to fulfill. More than a food festival, Terra Madre Asia & Pacific is a platform for action — a five-day exchange of ideas, traditions, innovations, and grassroots wisdom that aims to chart a more equitable and sustainable food future.
“This isn’t just another food event,” said Ramon “Chin Chin” Uy Jr., Slow Food Councilor for Southeast Asia. “It’s a movement. Bacolod is becoming a meeting ground where lived experiences of small communities can influence global policy — and where local flavors can inspire international change.”
Held at the scenic Provincial Capitol Lagoon, the event will feature immersive food tastings, farmer-led talks, Indigenous food rituals, culinary demonstrations, and forums on topics ranging from climate-resilient agriculture to youth empowerment in food systems. It’s also set to put a spotlight on the Philippines’ own culinary treasures, from heirloom rice varieties to seaweed traditions, and everything in between.
This regional debut follows the success of Terra Madre Visayas in 2023 and 2024, and it also reinforces Bacolod’s growing reputation as the Slow Food International Hub for Asia and the Pacific. For the Philippines — often overshadowed by larger gastronomy giants — this is a rare chance to lead a regional dialogue on ethical and inclusive food systems.
The initiative is being organized in partnership with key government agencies including the Department of Tourism, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Trade and Industry, along with the local governments of Bacolod City and Negros Occidental.
With the Asia-Pacific region facing growing challenges from climate change, globalization, and food insecurity, Terra Madre arrives not a moment too soon. And by grounding the conversation in local knowledge and traditional wisdom, Bacolod is offering a fresh path forward — one rooted not in exploitation, but in regeneration, community, and taste.
For those interested in being part of this historic moment, applications for delegates can be sent to nichole@slowfoodnegros.com, and partnership or sponsorship inquiries may be directed to frauline@slowfoodnegros.com.
As the countdown begins, Bacolod isn’t just preparing to host a food summit — it’s preparing to lead a revolution in how we grow, eat, and think about food.