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Slow Food

The founding father of the Slow Food Movement, Carlo Petrini, recognized in 1986 that the industrialization of food was standardizing taste and leading to the annihilation of thousands of food varieties and flavors. Concerned that the world was quickly reaching a point of no return, he wanted to reach out to consumers and demonstrate to them that they have choices over fast food and supermarket homogenization. He rallied his friends and began to speak out at every available opportunity and soon the movement was born and Slow Food was created in Italy. Today the organization is active in 45 countries and has a worldwide membership of over 65,000.

Slow Food U.S.A. is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to supporting and celebrating the food traditions in the US. From the spice of Cajun cooking to the purity of the organic movement; from animal breeds and heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables to handcrafted wine and beer, farmhouse cheeses and other artisanal products, these foods are a part of our cultural identity. They reflect generations of commitment to the land and devotion to the processes that yield the greatest achievements in taste. These foods, and the communities that produce and depend on them, are constantly at risk of succumbing to the effects of the fast life, which manifests itself through the industrialization and standardization of our food supply and degradation of our farmland. By reviving the pleasures of the table, and using our tastebuds as our guides, Slow Food U.S.A. believes that our food heritage can be saved.

Slow Food U.S.A. oversees Slow Food activities in North America, including the support and promotion of the activities of 70 local chapters, each called a "convivium," that carry out the Slow Food mission on a local level. Each convivium advocates sustainability and bio-diversity through educational events and public outreach that promote the appreciation and consumption of seasonal and local foods and the support of those who produce them.

For more information about the international movement, go to www.slowfood.com. For more information about Slow Food U.S.A. or to become a member of Slow Food, go to www.slowfoodusa.org.

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