This international organization is a nonprofit political movement resisting exploitative food systems and the homogenization of food cultures.
With a snail as its mascot, Slow Food symbolizes the radical act of slowing down and living from the heart. The Slow Food organization began in 1986 in Italy when protests erupted over the opening of a fast-food chain near Rome’s Spanish Steps. By 1989, representatives from 15 countries signed the Slow Food Manifesto, which described "the fast life" as a virus or machine where "speed became our shackles... Let us defend ourselves from the universal madness of 'the fast life' with tranquil material pleasure.”
Founded by Carlo Petrini, Slow Food International is a nonprofit political movement resisting exploitative food systems and the homogenization of food cultures. In 30 years, it has spread to 160 countries, uniting chefs, farmers, scholars and activists to defend food culture and the environment. Its slogan, “Good, Clean, Fair Food for All,” emerged from a 2006 Manifesto for Quality. “Good” refers to food that tastes delicious and is made with quality ingredients. “Clean” refers to food produced sustainably, respecting ecosystems and health. And “Fair” refers to food systems that ensure fair labor conditions and respect for cultural traditions. This pledge extends beyond food, reflecting a shared humanity and a longing for connection, beauty and pleasure.
Every two years, Terra Madre, a festival sponsored by Slow Food International in Turin, Italy, highlights small-scale producers and sustainable food practices. In 2024, more than 3,000 delegates from over 120 countries gathered around the theme “We Are Nature.” At the opening ceremony, Petrini addressed attendees, “Today you are here to represent the intelligence which comes from your heart. The world will be changed from the intelligence which comes from your heart.” Terra Madre’smarket place showcased 600 producers sharing unique food traditions, while discussions, tastings and panels fostered education, collaboration and advocacy for improved food systems. In alternate years,Slow Food hosts Cheese, a festival in Bra, Italy, celebrating the diversity of raw milk cheeses and their cultural and ecological significance.
Slow Food International also founded the University of Gastronomic Sciences, an accredited institution dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of food culture. Territorial organizations like Slow Food USA further this mission and support over 2,000 local chapters, called convivia. In Northeast Florida, the local group is Slow Food First Coast, which has brought together food producers and consumers since 2007. Leslie Kaplan is the current chapter leader as well as a professor of food andculture at UNF. “I love that food connects the community, in the way that nothing else does, across age, social class, country of origin, political and religious views … across everything that seems to divide us,” she says. “We are all eaters.”
Slow Food First Coast highlights local producers and restaurants through its Snail of Approval Program which recognizes businesses committed to Slow Food principles. They also organize the Tour de Farm with their next Tour scheduled for March 2025. Local restaurants, grocery stores, farms and food trucks are invited to apply for the Snail of Approval. Visit Slow Food First Coast’s website to view the application, nominate a local business or join Slow Food as a member.
Slow Food builds Thematic Networks which bring food system actors together around causes like Slow Coffee, Slow Beans or the Indigenous Peoples Network. These alliances give shared language to advocacy and support communities fighting for their cultural traditions. In 2024, Slow Fish curated an event in Charleston, fostering knowledge exchange between fishing communities while advocating for the protection of aquatic ecosystems and the livelihoods tied to them. The Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity curates The Ark of Taste, a global catalog of food biodiversity at risk of extinction due to the pressure of the industrial food system and the standardization of diets. Thanks to food advocates on the First Coast, the Ark of Taste includes the Datil Pepper, Florida Cracker Cattle and the Seminole Pumpkin.
Consumers and businesses can support Slow Food’s mission by thinking critically about their buying habits. Consider buying staples like meat, eggs, milk and produce at farmers’ markets and prioritize supporting small businesses who incorporate cultural traditions and environmental advocacy in their mission. Household practices like composting, using biodegradable cleaning products or growing an herb, vegetable or pollinator garden impacts biodiversity and builds the habit of slowing down and connecting to the heart.
Businesses can adopt biodegradable packaging, advocate for commercial composting of food wasteand source ingredients from regional farmers or sustainable producers. Preserving heritage foods and supporting staff with living wages and paid time off also supports Slow Food principles.
Advocacy happens in big and small ways. Consider reading a book by Carlo Petrini, becoming a member of Slow Food First Coast or simply inspire conversations about food traditions, biodiversityand sustainability with those around you.
Follow @SlowFoodFC on social media for updates and events supporting Good, Clean and Fair Food.
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