The Slow Food movement is an international non-profit organization that is part of a larger organization called the Alternative Food Movement. Founded in 1989, its mission is to promote sustainable food, biodiversity and culinary systems.
The primary objective of the Slow Food movement is to protect and preserve local food cultures against the harmful effects of modern eating habits such as junk food, and to highlight the quality of products and the pleasure of eating well.
Slow Food focuses on the social and economic dimension of food as well as its cultural and political aspect in order to develop global food awareness.
How does the Slow Food movement work?
The Slow Food movement is led by an International Council of elected members who meet annually to discuss strategies and initiatives. Local or regional groups are organized to facilitate local activities aimed at raising awareness of the movement and encouraging participation.
The main initiative proposed by the movement is the organization of gastronomic and community events such as farmers’ markets, festivals, exchanges between producers and culinary workshops, to stimulate people’s taste for healthy and organic products from small farms agricultural.
As part of these events, representatives of the movement talk about sustainable food and explain how everyone can help improve local food practices and support biodiversity.
The fundamental principles of the Slow Food movement
- Biodiversity: the movement is committed to working for the conservation of ancient and endangered varieties of plants and animals, as well as the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices.
- Nutritional quality: promote access to healthy and nutritious food for all.
- Food sovereignty: guarantee everyone the right to access healthy and affordable food.
- Equity : ensure that everyone can enjoy the benefits of sustainable food.
- Culinary culture: recognize and encourage the diversity of knowledge and flavors generated by local food systems.
- Ecology: tackle the root causes that threaten food biodiversity and support local solutions to ensure the long term.
The Slow Food movement has branches in more than 160 countries around the world where it has helped create thousands of projects aimed at supporting small local producers, promoting ecological agricultural practices, and transforming eating habits.
The movement’s flagship actions are supported by members and the involvement of local communities who find a common interest in fighting against the exploitation and destruction of nature, and in promoting traditional food cultures.
The Slow Food movement addresses the root causes of food problems linked to the industrialization of food systems and globalization. He campaigns for a return to healthy and sustainable food accessible to all, for the recognition of local food knowledge and traditions, for the preservation of food biodiversity and the promotion of sustainable food systems.