What is the Slow Food movement?

Source: Laura Gaines

The Slow Food movement was founded in Italy in 1986 by Carlo Petrini and is an international association that works to combat the standardization of food and wine around the world. According to the Slow Food movement’s mission, “Slow Food believes the enjoyment of excellent foods and wines should be combined with efforts to save the countless traditional cheeses, grains, vegetables, fruits, and animal breeds that are disappearing due to the prevalence of convenience food and agribusiness.” The Slow Foods movement is active in 50 countries and has a worldwide membership of over 80,000

The organization promotes its philosophy mainly through local chapters called convivia, which support sustainability and biodiversity through educational events and public outreach that promote the understanding and consumption of seasonal and local foods. The Slow Foods movement also has a publishing company called the Slow Food Editore that organizes international events to advance their mission.

The Slow Food movement is a refreshing change from trends leading toward the homogenization of food. I am personally grateful for the education and events that the Slow Foods movement provides, and I am excited their about continued growth and popularity.

For more information on the Slow Foods movement, check out their Web site http://www.slowfood.com.