THE local agri-tourism industry is getting a boost as Negros Occidental will be the pilot area for slow food travel outside Europe.
Ramon Uy Jr., member of Slow Food Community-Negros Island, said they launched the slow food travel project in the province during the two-day “Pop-Up Earth Markets” in Bacolod City over the weekend.
Uy, also an organic agriculture advocate, said the slow food travel will be a unique tourism product of Western Visayas, noting that slow food development has been part of the thrusts of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.
The project is a partnership between Slow Food Community-Negros Island, Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Agriculture (DA), Central Philippine State University (CPSU), and Slow Food International.
“The slow food travel is known in Europe, so we’re having it here in the region,” he said, adding that the end goal of the project is to bring economic benefits to the rural areas.
Under the project, there will be training on product development and capacity building in terms of slow food travel mainly for industry stakeholders like farmers.
Uy said the first virtual training is scheduled on April 21 this year, which will be conducted by the Slow Food International based in Italy.
Also, there will be a biodiversity mapping for the identification of biodiversity hotspots in Negros.
The island has rich biodiversity like the “batuan,” which is endemic in Negros and some parts of Western Visayas and found to have four varieties, Uy said.
“So we will identify, document and catalogue these varieties. It will then be part of our root or story of our slow food travel project,” he said.
Uy added that the DOT will also support in terms of developing the farmers, producers and other industry stakeholders.
Senator Cynthia Villar, who was represented by her staff during the “Pop-Up Earth Market” event, also expressed support for the project.
Villar, who chairs the Senate committee on agriculture and food, is the principal author of Farm Tourism Law.
“This project will enable us to prepare for the implementation of slow food travel like the creation of tour packages highlighting our rich biodiversity,” Uy said, adding that it is seen to boost tourism and agriculture as well as promote rural development.
He stressed that the guiding principles of slow food include supporting small scale farmers producing good, clean and fair food, as well as agro-ecology preservation.
One of the projects of Slow Food International was the “Ark of Taste” which catalogued endangered heritage food like batwan, kadyos, criollo cacao and darag chicken, among others.
In Negros Occidental, there are 23 items listed in the catalogue, Uy said.
“By documenting them, we are preserving our heritage food, our stories as well, for the future generation to know. If not, it will easily be forgotten,” he added.