René Redzepi: Help Support MAD Symposium!

For the past two summers some of the brightest minds in the food world — including chefs, farmers, journalists, bakers, scientists and politicians — have travelled to Copenhagen to attend the MAD Symposium, a three-day conference spearheaded by Noma chef René Redzepi and his trusted lieutenant Ali Kurshat Altinsoy. We've been on the ground for each of the sevents, which were focused around the themes of Vegetation (2010) and Appetite (2011).

This year's theme is Guts and will be co-curated by Momofuku boss David Chang. "Guts symbolizes courage," said Redzepi when we interviewed him in September. "It is culinary, it is your metabolism. It is what happens in your body when you eat. Tisk taking, being brave." While full details are still months away, Redzepi writes today to announce a fund raising initiative:

Conscious to safeguard our own independence and assure that we remain an open and free arena for discussion, MAD does not accept sponsorship from big food companies. Instead, we rely on concerned organisations, companies and individuals – people who want to be involved because they believe that changing how we think about food is crucial to the health of this planet.

You can donate via Paypal or probably stop by the restaurant to drop off a check (and maybe stay for dinner if you're so lucky). The organization is now a 501(c)(3), so that any donation made is tax-deductible. No word if this fundraising will hit Kickstarter, but we'd most certainly drop some coin for a bottle of Mikkeller Looney Ale. Just saying.