In October 2010, Slow Food International undertook an ambitious project, called “A Thousand Gardens in Africa”, to create food gardens in every Terra Madre community in Africa. In early March 2011, thirteen national coordinators had their first training session at the University of Gastronomic Science in Italy to kick-start the project.
In the span of a week, the coordinators evaluated the need for food gardens in communities across the continent, and created guidelines for the project. During their meeting they discussed various management issues, including organicpesticides, training activities to promote traditional food gardens, and access to inputs, such as water and seeds.
At the end of the week, they returned to their respective countries–Uganda, Kenya, Senegal, and ten others– where they will work with local Slow Food convivia and other NGOs, to establish these gardens. The coordinators will come together again over the rest of the year to share ideas and monitor the projects’ progress.
Contributing Post by Supriya Kumar, who is a communications associate with the Nourishing the Planet Project.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
