History of Slow Food

History of the Movement

Slow Food first began as a small Italian association in 1986. Led by Carlo Petrini, Slow Food was created in response to the increasing industrialization of food and standardizing of taste. Carlo recognized that with the rise of fast food, thousands of food varieties and food traditions were disappearing, and that people were losing the connection between the plate and the planet. To counter the fast food trend, Slow Food aimed to demonstrate alternatives to industrial food and farming, to raise awareness of how our food impacts the environment, and to support the workers who produce our food. Today, there are 100,000 Slow Food members, working for good, clean and fair food in over 150 countries.

History of Slow Food

In 1986, founding father of the Slow Food movement Carlo Petrini recognized that the industrialization of food was standardizing taste, and leading to the annihilation of thousands of food varieties and flavors. He wanted to reach out to consumers and to demonstrate that they had choices over fast food and supermarket homogenization. He rallied his friends and his community, and began to speak out at every opportunity about the effects of a fast culture. Soon after, Petrini realized that in order to keep those alternative food choices alive, it was imperative for an eco-gastronomic movement to exist -- one that was ecologically minded and concerned with sustainability, and one that acknowledged the connection between the plate and the planet. With preservation of taste at the forefront, he sought to support and protect small growers and artisanal producers, support and protect the physical environment, and promote biodiversity.

Also see Slow Food’s historical timeline.

What We Do

Slow Food USA is a national non-profit that believes in a world where food and farming are sources of health and pleasure for everyone. Organized into local chapters nationwide, our supporters, members and chapter leaders raise awareness through local projects, national advocacy campaigns and education, and seek to provide people with a pathway to make a difference in the sustainable food movement. From building a school garden to joining a campaign to make it easier to afford and access real food, Slow Food staff, members and supporters are reshaping the story of food and farming in America.