African farmer Edward Mukiibi takes over from Carlo Petrini as president of Slow Food

The young African farmer, who has taken over as president of Slow Food from Italian founder, Carlo Petrini, has been harnessing the power of kitchen gardens to inspire change

When Edward Mukiibi began to grow tomatoes at his home in Uganda, he had no idea it would change thousands of lives. Including his own.

Today, the young African farmer is the new president of Slow Food. He takes over from the influential organisation’s legendary Italian founder, Carlo Petrini who has led Slow Food since 1986, when it launched on Rome’s Spanish Steps — the same year Edward, popularly known as Edie, was born. 

With active communities in over 100 countries, the global movement defends biological and cultural biodiversity, encouraging people to eat and advocate for food that is ‘good, clean and fair.’ Working with policy makers, local communities and activists, Slow Food is quick to adapt to a rapidly changing world, largely because of its enthusiasm for mentoring young leadership.

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Over a call, Edie talks fondly of his family’s farm in the small village of Kisoga, in Uganda’s Mukono district. It is here he began working with schools, encouraging students to set up small, organic vegetable gardens. “I studied agriculture at university, and was born in a farming community,” he says, “My parents have a small farm, where they grew a lot of tropical crops, coffee, banana, beans, maize... and fruit trees along the boundary.”

At university, he says his work with local farmers taught him the value of traditional methods of agriculture. “When hybrid seeds failed because of the drought — they were disappointed, and so was I. We realised that with mixed farming, even with drought, farmers would not lose 100% of their crop.”

Edie began to work with the farmers to rebuild traditional systems and rebuild trust. “We began using regenerative approaches, permaculture and agroforestery. We started working with plants that are resilient, so even with strong winds or drought you will have something to harvest, something to eat. We began working with heritage millets...”