11 Apr 2012
Back in 1986, when Carlo Petrini took to the streets in protest of the opening of a fast food restaurant near one of the historic highlights of Rome, never did he imagine the movement that would take shape in the wake of his protest.
Three years later, representatives from 15 countries met in Paris to sign the charter of the Slow Food movement. Today, some 25 years after it all started, Slow Food is global organisation with supporters in 150 countries around the globe.
- Carlo Petrini’s motivation was to reinvigorate an interest in local produce, regional cuisine and tradition in general. At the same time, it was a response to fast food, which was gaining popularity fast across Europe. Over the years, the movement’s intention has remained true to its past: a believe that everyone has a fundamental right to the pleasure of good food and consequently the responsibility to protect the heritage of food, tradition and culture that makes this pleasure possible.
- But in the end, Slow Food is at the centre of something much larger. The movement’s founding principles also apply to wide range of other trends that we notice today, from the rising popularity of locally grown produce and farmers’ markets to bio food and even urban farming. These all link back to three interconnected principles that are at the heart of Slow Food: good, clean and fair. Good for a fresh and flavoursome seasonal diet that satisfies the senses and is part of our local culture; clean for food production and consumption that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health; and fair for accessible prices for consumers and fair conditions and pay for small-scale producers.
