Bees were the stars of the New Slow Food Presidia Project in Italy in this years edition of Terra Madre (Mother Earth) at the Turin Salone Internazionale del Gusto (23 rd till  27 th October 2008). As with all the Presidia project , these are not ordinary bees, but unique black and grey Sicilian bees, saved from extinction by beekeepers in the Aeolian Islands.

The Presidia branch of the Slow Food Movement was created in 1998 to defend agricultural and food biodiversity. It supports small-scale high quality products which are at risk of disappearing due to the market pressures of multi-national food producing companies. The movement has now spread beyond Italy and has launched numerous projects aimed at promoting traditional local farm production in many areas throughout the world.  

In addition to the bees, other Italian food products that have come under Presidia protection this year include some rare varieties of artichoke, tomatoes and plums, as well as some local cheeses and cured hams.

For information: www.terramadre.info  www.slowfood.com