WIT Press Release
Title: Hosting of Terra Madre Ireland platform to develop southeast as food region – WIT Director
Release date: Thu, Jul 03, 2008
Waterford's hosting of Terra Madre Ireland in September can provide the platform for the southeast to develop and enhance its reputation as a region producing top quality food.
That was the message from Prof Kieran R Byrne, Director, Waterford Institute of Technology on Thursday (July 3) when he hosted a Terra Madre countdown dinner featuring southeast food produce including Wexford scallops; Waterford organic chicken; Kilkenny ice cream and Carlow fruits.
"There is no doubt in my mind about the tremendous potential that exists for this region to be branded under a united heading as a special place where food is seen as far more than simply fuel for our bodies. There are a growing number of small, independent food producers operating successfully in the region while we also have some of the best restaurants on this island, ranging from fine dining to less formal eating but all with excellent food and service.
"In addition, we have larger commercial food producers like Flahavan’s of Kilmacthomas building on a proud tradition of quality while also staying well tuned to changing consumer requirements and tastes. Indeed, their connections with some of the best chefs in the country underline the sort of linkages that we hope to see explored at Terra Madre Ireland and subsequently," he continued.
"Aside from the tremendous economic boost that food can increasingly provide to the southeast, there are also very significant positive health and environmental spin-offs from eating locally-produced and sourced foods. The freshness of the traceable seasonal produce that we can so readily access here is in marked contrast to some of the imported foods that have travelled hundreds if not thousands of miles to our supermarket shelves."
Donal Lehane, chairperson of the organising committee for Terra Madre Ireland 2008 added: "The whole raison d’être for the event in September is to provide a stimulus and focus for discussion and debate that can feed in to policymaking at a national and indeed international level. Part of the legacy that we envisage is a greater awareness across the southeast of what we can achieve by working together. So many of the right 'ingredients' already exist in this region; it is now a matter of joining the dots and collaborating more consistently. Indeed, this spirit of cooperation is reflected in our patrons and benefactors who cover a wide spectrum of the food industry, higher education, local government and development agencies.
"The 'think global; act local' message that we hear in relation to major issues like climate change is just as applicable in terms of where and how we source food on a day-to-day basis. There has been an increased awareness in recent years of the societal and individual benefits from opting for locally produced food that has had minimal interventions and delay from farm to fork; it is this progress that we must now build on."
Suppliers for the Terra Madre countdown dinner included SOFRIMAR, Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford (scallops); Paul Crotty, Dunmore East, Co Waterford (organic free-range chicken); Cramers Grove, Co Kilkenny (ice cream) and Malone’s, Ballon, Co Carlow (fruits). The event was also attended by Darina Allen, Chairperson, Slow Food Ireland and Paul McDaid, Deputy President, Waterford Chamber.
Further information on the Terra Madre Ireland food policy conference and slow food festival which runs from September 4-7 at Waterford Institute of Technology and which is set to attract over 1,000 delegates from Ireland and Europe is available online at www.terramadreireland.com