The Slowfood Movement
Slow Food, founded in 1986, is an international organisation whose aim is
to protect the pleasures of the table from the homogenisation of modern fast
food and life. Through a variety of initiatives, it promotes gastronomic culture,
develops taste education, conserves agricultural biodiversity and protects
traditional foods at risk of extinction.
Slow Food now boasts 83,000 members in 100 countries, with
offices (in order of creation) in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the USA, France,
Japan, and Great Britain.
Slow Food's Major Initiatives
The Slow Food
Foundation for Biodiversity - a non-profit entity and partnership between
Slow Food and the Region of Tuscany - works to safeguard our gastronomic resources.
While at work worldwide, the Foundation actively promotes projects in developing
countries where conserving biodiversity can directly help preserve livelihoods,
communities and cultures.
The key projects include:
- Terra
Madre - a foundation supported by several Italian public authorities,
Slow Food and other donors, manifested in a biennial event focused on communities'
native and sustainable food production and right to food provenance. 5000
delegates from 150 countries attended Terra Madre 2004 and since then 100
producers have taken part in training exchanges.
- The
Ark of Taste - works to rediscover, catalogue and promote foods and flavours
imperilled by industrial standardisation, hygiene laws, the regulations of
large-scale distribution and environmental damage. Products selected for the
Ark must meet agreed criteria relating to quality, regionality, history, social
or environmental linkage, limited production and threat of extinction.
- The
Presidia - the working arm of the Ark of Taste, the Presidia supports
producers to create fine farm foods and promotes their sale through communications
and consumer education. Integrally, the Presidia's work also encourages rural
employment through training new producers in ancient skills, along with sustainable
tourism.
Find out more about Slow Food and its efforts at www.slowfood.com
