POLENZO – Saudi Arabia's Culinary Arts Commission signed on Monday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Italian culinary giant Slow Food International to support and advance various culinary sectors in the Kingdom. The Commission CEO Mayada Badr and Slow Food Secretary General Paolo di Croce inked the MoU in a ceremony held in the Italian city Polenzo. Under the agreement, the Commission and Slow Food would identify aspects of their mutual cooperation, and that covers the development of training programs, capacity-building and holding seminars for specialists from both parties, apart from facilitating Saudi participation in relevant international events. There are provisions in the deal to hold Slow Food's activities in the Kingdom, as well as to develop the "Slow Food Curriculum" in Arabic language. The MoU also includes registering Saudi farmers' markets in the global "Slow Food Earth Market" network, and registering Saudi food threatened with extinction in the organization's archive under the name of "Tasting vessel." Official delegations and experts in the field of culinary arts from Italy will visit the Kingdom. The Culinary Arts Commission is one of the 11 new authorities set up by the Ministry of Culture last year. Established in February 2020, the Commission is tasked to supervise the development of the Kingdom's culinary sector and facilitate the advancement of its components. It also seeks to introduce Saudi dishes locally and globally, and to take pride in the culinary heritage and talent in this sector. The MoU comes as part of the efforts made by the Commission to raise the efficiency of the culinary arts sector in the Kingdom by providing international expertise to be accessible to citizens practicing culinary arts and to attract the most prestigious culinary and hospitality institutes to the Kingdom. Slow Food is a global organization founded in 1986 in Italy, and has since spread worldwide. It aims to promote local food and traditional cooking. It also aims to prevent the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions, counteract the rise of fast life and combat people's dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from and how our food choices affect the world around us. Since its beginnings, Slow Food has grown into a global movement involving millions of people in over 160 countries, working to ensure everyone has access to good, clean and fair food.
