Terra Madre 2026 Opens in Turin With More Than 600 Food Producers

Terra Madre Salone del Gusto has opened across the historic center of Turin, turning the city's squares into a four day meeting place for food producers, buyers, researchers and Slow Food networks. The sixteenth edition runs from September 24 to 27 and is organized by Slow Food, the Piedmont Region and the City of Turin.

The official programme says more than 600 producers from Italy and other countries are presenting products in the event's market. Slow Food also expects thousands of delegates and hundreds of exhibitors, Presidia projects and food communities to take part across the wider gathering.

This year's programme puts biodiversity at the center of discussions about food culture, resilience and market access. That framing moves the event beyond consumer tasting by connecting agricultural diversity with production economics, community knowledge and the survival of smaller food enterprises.

The event combines conferences, taste workshops, dinners, exhibitions and meetings for producer coalitions. Dedicated programme areas cover cacao, coffee, cider and wine, while sessions examine how identity, storytelling and market positioning can help producers reach commercial buyers without stripping away origin or value.

Holding the event across central Turin gives small producers unusual public visibility, but the business test comes after the festival. Market contacts only become durable opportunities when suppliers can meet requirements for volume, documentation, quality consistency, pricing and cross border delivery.

Terra Madre also operates as a network building platform. Producers and food communities can compare methods, identify partners and learn how other regions manage geographical identity, biodiversity protection and local processing.

For established food companies, the gathering is a scouting environment for distinctive ingredients and regional products. For smaller suppliers, it offers direct exposure to potential collaborators, although participation alone does not guarantee distribution or investment.

The most consequential outcomes will be the partnerships and purchasing relationships that continue after the Turin programme closes. Attendance figures matter, but the event's longer term value depends on whether visibility translates into stronger routes to market for producers and more resilient supply options for buyers.