Food reflects the Greek landscape and the long history of this corner of the Mediterranean.
At the same time, the present crisis situation influences consumers’ behavior and has a crucial affect on food production, distribution, and consumption.
Discussion Greek Food Culture Today @ Markthalle Neun, Berlin, 17 July 2015
Greek
Food
Culture
Today
Young, well-educated urbanites leave the city and start anew as farmers, trying out new systems of cultivation with innovative agricultural products. New agro-tourism businesses and start-ups come into play. Farmer markets and digital platforms support alternative distribution channels. As a food and nutrition crisis is a threat to parts of the urban population, new forms of solidarity movements emerge. Urban agriculture is integrated in civil society practices and food activists are part of the young lively Greek bottom-up movement.
The crisis – which is not just economic – offers the chance to redefine values and development models. At the same time, the supremacy of economical factors and the urgent need for short-term solutions makes sustainable long-term development difficult. The program therefore also concentrates on how to support sustainable food development in Greece. It addresses issues such as how to unlock the German market for organic Greek products, creating sustainable distribution channels in the German market structure.
Is the Greek food movement emerging from the crisis typical of a broad range of renewal processes taking place in Greece at the moment? Why not consider Greece a model for renewal? The goal of the program is to crack down the prejudices and open up our minds about Greece from a food point of view – and beyond.
Participants
Pavlos Georgiadis ethnobotanist, food author, convivium leader of Slow Food Thrace, Greece coordinator of Slow Food Youth Network
Ulrike Herrmann writer and journalist, economics reporter of the German newspaper „die tageszeitung“
Giorgos Keranis food market expert, responsible for Sustainable Food Policy and Social Entrepreneurship Policy at the Municipality of Athens Development Agency
Sotiris Lymperopoulos young Athenian that went from economics to becoming a successful organic farmer: www.radiki.gr
Manuel Sarrazin German Parliament member, Green Party spokesman on the Affairs of the European Union
Alexandra Stratou young Athenian chef, trained in San Sebastian at Escuela de Cocina de Luis Irizar with a BA from Brown University, author of “Cooking to Share – Greek recipes from my family to yours”
Hosted by Markthalle Neun, grinbox, 100pct, Hybrid Space Lab, sponsored by Aegean Airlines, Slow Food Deutschland e.V., radioeinz, taz. die tageszeitung.
The event was accompanied by a networking program on social entrepreneurship, urban agriculture, and sustainable food policy curated by Hybrid Space Lab.
Panel discussion curated by Hybrid Space Lab and Markthalle Neun in Berlin on July 17 2015. The event is part of the Greek Weekend program at Markthalle Neun.
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