BACOLOD CITY, Philippines, Nov. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Terra Madre Asia & Pacific 2025 marked a historic milestone for the Slow Food movement, demonstrating the power of community-led initiatives and the political impact of grassroots food advocacy. Bringing together more than 2,000 delegates from across Asia and the Pacific, the event celebrated the region's food heritage while reinforcing the urgent need for sustainable, regenerative, and culturally rooted food systems.
"This first edition has been overwhelming," said Reena Gamboa, Executive Director of Terra Madre Asia & Pacific. "These five days have shown us the richness of natural resources in the region. Farmers, cooks, and food producers have formed new alliances and realized their potential to advocate for a shift towards good, clean, and fair food. Terra Madre Asia & Pacific has given us a voice to promote our food biodiversity and culinary heritage, and it has inspired the entire Slow Food network to drive change toward the next edition."
"As we close this extraordinary gathering, I want to highlight how the Philippines stand as a remarkable example of diversity, sustainability, and quality. This is why they will remain at the heart of our movement's development in this part of the world. Now we are already looking forward with great enthusiasm to the second edition of Terra Madre Asia & Pacific in 2027," added Paolo Di Croce, Director General of Slow Food.
The event reinforced Slow Food's decentralized approach, highlighting a politically conscious, culturally rich movement rooted in gastronomy, Indigenous wisdom, and biodiversity. Delegates celebrated the first step toward establishing Bacolod in Negros Occidental as the first international Slow Food Hub in Asia and the Pacific, strengthening the movement's regional identity and promoting alternatives to industrial food systems, in continuity with the global Slow Food vision.
"This comes at a moment when we urgently need to take concrete action against the climate crisis: action that goes beyond negotiations and high-level talks. Lasting climate solutions grow from the ground up," emphasized Slow Food President Edward Mukiibi. "They are rooted in biodiversity, Indigenous knowledge, and strong local food systems that put communities, not corporations, at the center. The solutions we need already exist within our communities and within Slow Food farms: agroecology strengthens resilience today while mitigating emissions for the future. The final commitment of Terra Madre is therefore to amplify agroecological practices, defend biodiversity, and reject industrial, unsustainable models of agriculture."
Looking at the island which hosted the first edition of the event, Negros emerged as a highlight, celebrated for its inseparable combination of biodiversity, heritage, and community. The first Slow Food Travel destination launched here in the Philippines will offer visitors the chance to experience authentic local flavors while engaging directly with the people who preserve them.
Program Highlights
The Education Program featured 18 hands-on workshops led by farmers, cooks, and Indigenous knowledge keepers, exploring soy, spices, rice, and taro. Children, youth, and families walking through the Foodways Area learned to cook taro, grind spices, craft miso, prepare bamboo-cooked dishes, and create indigenous rice snacks. More than 15 local schools brought students to participate.
Taste Workshops were sold out, while conferences and public talks drew strong engagement, with lively discussions on food and health, seed preservation, traditional crops, sustainable development, and food policies. Areas such as the Slow Food Coffee Coalition, Slow Drinks, and Terra Madre Kitchen offered spaces for learning, exchange, and networking with producers, cooks, and bartenders.
High resolution images can be downloaded here.
About Terra Madre Asia & Pacific
Part of the global Slow Food movement, Terra Madre Asia & Pacific is a space where communities, ingredients, and ideas converge to shape the future of food. In Bacolod, it unites more than 2000 delegates from across the region to exchange knowledge and strengthen networks for a fairer, more resilient food system. TMAP 2025 is made possible through collaboration between Slow Food, the City Government of Bacolod led by Mayor Greg Gasataya, the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental led by Governor Eugenio Lacson, the Department of Tourism led by Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, the Department of Agriculture led by Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., the Department of Trade and Industry led by Secretary Cristina Roque, TESDA Director General Kiko Benitez, Congressman Albee Benitez, Congressman Javi Benitez, and Senator Loren Legarda. Partners include the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Meatless Monday, Plus63 Design Co., FEATR, and the Slow Food Community in Negros.
The event also introduces a distinct visual identity inspired by archipelagic landscapes and handcrafted clay forms, reflecting resilience, biodiversity, and cultural interconnectedness designed and created by illustrator Dan Matutina.
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** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Terra Madre Asia & Pacific 2025 strengthens communities and advocates for sustainable food systems
- Having secured the fully driverless commercial permit in mid-November 2025, the partners have launched fully autonomous ride-hailing service via the AutoGo app.
- Initial operations cover Yas Island, with phased expansion planned for Reem, Al Maryah, and Saadiyat Islands.
- The launch marks a critical step toward the partners' goal of deploying hundreds of vehicles by 2026 and building Abu Dhabi's largest fully driverless fleet.
ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888) today announced that its autonomous ride-hailing service, Apollo Go, and AutoGo, a leading UAE-based autonomous mobility company, have officially launched the fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service in the emirate. The launch of the service, now available via the AutoGo app, marks a major milestone in the commercialization of autonomous driving in the Middle East. The service has launched initially on Yas Island, where users in Abu Dhabi can now download the app to hail fully driverless rides.
The collaboration between Baidu's Apollo Go and K2's AutoGo began in March 2025, when they announced the partnership to build Abu Dhabi's largest fully driverless fleet. Building on that momentum, the companies secured one of the inaugural permits for fully driverless commercial operation in Abu Dhabi in mid-November 2025 and signed a next-phase agreement to scale the fleet to hundreds of vehicles by 2026. With the service now available to the general public through the AutoGo app, the partners are actively advancing their goal of establishing the emirate's largest fully driverless fleet.
"Moving from an initial partnership agreement to launching live, fully driverless operations for the public in a span of just a few months is a remarkable milestone," said Liang Zhang, Managing Director of EMEA at Baidu Apollo. "This speed of execution highlights the technical readiness of Apollo Go, the strong operational capabilities of our partnership, and the steadfast support of local regulatory bodies."
"AutoGo's transition to live robotaxi operations marks an important milestone in Abu Dhabi's autonomous mobility journey," said Sean Teo, Managing Director of K2. "Launching the service at the start of the year reflects our focus on execution and long-term value creation. By introducing robotaxi services in real urban environments and scaling across key districts, we are moving decisively from development to deployment—delivering autonomy that is practical, safe, and ready for everyday use."
The initial operation covers Yas Island, a premier leisure and entertainment hub in Abu Dhabi, now designated as a permitted zone for fully driverless operations. This service allows users to simply download the AutoGo app, request a ride, and experience a journey in a vehicle with no human driver behind the wheel.
Following the initial launch on Yas Island, the service will implement a phased geographic roll-out across Abu Dhabi. The expansion will begin with Reem Island, Al Maryah Island, and Saadiyat Island. Over time, the service will continue to expand across additional areas, with the long-term objective of operating across the wider Abu Dhabi emirate.
Apollo Go's rapid expansion into the UAE is backed by its industry-leading autonomous driving technology and proven real-world operational expertise. As a leading autonomous ride‑hailing service provider globally, Apollo Go has logged more than 240 million autonomous kilometers, of which over 140 million kilometers were completed in fully driverless mode. With a global footprint across 22 cities, Apollo Go's weekly ride count has recently surpassed 250,000, and the service has completed more than 17 million cumulative rides as of October 31, 2025. Looking ahead, Apollo Go and AutoGo will scale fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing services to reach more users and advance Abu Dhabi's smart city vision.
About Baidu
Founded in 2000, Baidu's mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on the NASDAQ under "BIDU" and HKEX under "9888." One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.
Media Contact
intlcomm@baidu.com
ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888) today announced that its autonomous ride-hailing service, Apollo Go, and AutoGo, a leading UAE-based autonomous mobility company, have officially launched the fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service in the emirate. The launch of the service, now available via the AutoGo app, marks a major milestone in the commercialization of autonomous driving in the Middle East. The service has launched initially on Yas Island, where users in Abu Dhabi can now download the app to hail fully driverless rides.
The collaboration between Baidu's Apollo Go and K2's AutoGo began in March 2025, when they announced the partnership to build Abu Dhabi's largest fully driverless fleet. Building on that momentum, the companies secured one of the inaugural permits for fully driverless commercial operation in Abu Dhabi in mid-November 2025 and signed a next-phase agreement to scale the fleet to hundreds of vehicles by 2026. With the service now available to the general public through the AutoGo app, the partners are actively advancing their goal of establishing the emirate's largest fully driverless fleet.
"Moving from an initial partnership agreement to launching live, fully driverless operations for the public in a span of just a few months is a remarkable milestone," said Liang Zhang, Managing Director of EMEA at Baidu Apollo. "This speed of execution highlights the technical readiness of Apollo Go, the strong operational capabilities of our partnership, and the steadfast support of local regulatory bodies."
"AutoGo's transition to live robotaxi operations marks an important milestone in Abu Dhabi's autonomous mobility journey," said Sean Teo, Managing Director of K2. "Launching the service at the start of the year reflects our focus on execution and long-term value creation. By introducing robotaxi services in real urban environments and scaling across key districts, we are moving decisively from development to deployment—delivering autonomy that is practical, safe, and ready for everyday use."
The initial operation covers Yas Island, a premier leisure and entertainment hub in Abu Dhabi, now designated as a permitted zone for fully driverless operations. This service allows users to simply download the AutoGo app, request a ride, and experience a journey in a vehicle with no human driver behind the wheel.
Following the initial launch on Yas Island, the service will implement a phased geographic roll-out across Abu Dhabi. The expansion will begin with Reem Island, Al Maryah Island, and Saadiyat Island. Over time, the service will continue to expand across additional areas, with the long-term objective of operating across the wider Abu Dhabi emirate.
Apollo Go's rapid expansion into the UAE is backed by its industry-leading autonomous driving technology and proven real-world operational expertise. As a leading autonomous ride‑hailing service provider globally, Apollo Go has logged more than 240 million autonomous kilometers, of which over 140 million kilometers were completed in fully driverless mode. With a global footprint across 22 cities, Apollo Go's weekly ride count has recently surpassed 250,000, and the service has completed more than 17 million cumulative rides as of October 31, 2025. Looking ahead, Apollo Go and AutoGo will scale fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing services to reach more users and advance Abu Dhabi's smart city vision.
About Baidu
Founded in 2000, Baidu's mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on the NASDAQ under "BIDU" and HKEX under "9888." One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.
Media Contact
intlcomm@baidu.com
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Baidu's Apollo Go and K2's AutoGo Commence Fully Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service on Yas Island, Announce Phased Expansion Across Abu Dhabi
