Slow Food's first transnational community is born!
We have the honour of being part of the world's first transnational Slow Food community. The community is called: 'Community of producers and co-producers of Qa'en saffron'.
The Iranian side of the community includes some farmers who produce saffron in Qa'en, a local NGO called 'Sepehr' which promotes handicrafts, especially by women, and cultural activities, a women's cooperative in hand weaving and dyeing fabrics with natural colours in the village of Khorashad, and other friends who have collaborated on the Shirin Persia project (photographers, graphic designers, video makers).
Iranian partners
Italian members
On the Italian side, the community includes Altromercato's "Viaggi e Miraggi" agency, with whom we made the first saffron trip to Iran in 2019, the 5+ brewery in Trento, with whom we made saffron beer, Sergio Valentini and Annarita Di Nunno of the 3 chiavi restaurant in Isera (TN), historic slowfood members, Tommaso Martini, Slow Food Valle dell'Adige and Alto Garda trustee, Fabio Villa Chef from Tricerro (VC), Davide Aldrighetti, owner and Digital Strategist at Kumbe (TN), Shirin Persia.
This is just a starting point for activities that will focus on spreading information and culture about the world and trade of saffron. Some objectives in particular will be
- to support small saffron growers in southern Khorasan (Iran) where production is still family-run, so as to help them make a fair profit
- help the development and improvement of working conditions in small villages so as to encourage young people not to emigrate and abandon their precious family work
- educate the saffron workers of South Khorasan about the value of their culture and tradition related to saffron harvesting
- to educate consumers in Europe about the saffron product, its geographical and cultural origins
- Encourage the people of South Khorasan to use the saffron flower as a symbol in their handicraft products.
Events, seminars, workshops, dinners, photo and video screenings, responsible trips to saffron lands, and information on saffron trade and counterfeiting will be organized. A network will be created between small saffron producers and the European market, in particular Italy.
The first issue of the new magazine "SLOWZINE" of the slow food convivium, valle dell'adige, alto garda has just been published.
As the community grows, it will be possible to add those who wish to collaborate among customers, conscious consumers and sympathisers. This is only the beginning!
"You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the whole ocean in a drop."
Rumi
