Slow food – the opposite of fast food – stands for the conscious enjoyment of food. The movement wants to promote a vibrant and sustainable culture of food.
Slow Food as a movement
In 1986, Carlo Petrini founded an association in Bra, northern Italy, which promotes a culture of culinary delights and a “moderate pace of life”. One of the triggers for this was the opening of a McDonalds branch on a baroque free bridge.
Three years later, in 1989, the international association Slow Food was founded and another three years later, in 1992 Slow Food Deutschland e.V. The mission is based on this philosophy:
“Three times a day, at every meal, we make decisions with far-reaching consequences. Our food is inextricably linked to politics, economy, society, culture, knowledge, agriculture, health and the environment”.
The central principles that apply to foods with a Slow Food character are derived from this: “buono, pulito e giusto” – good, clean and fair.
4 good reasons for Slow Food
1. Enjoy food
Enjoyment is the top priority at Slow Food: everyone should have a right to it. It’s about curbing blind consumption and creating awareness of the products that end up on our plates.
At the same time, this is a rejection of the to-go culture, which not only has little to do with enjoyment, but also produces vast amounts of unnecessary waste. When we are able to actively enjoy food, we also learn to appreciate its value. One of the central theses of Slow Food: “The shared meal is the basis of human coexistence”.
2. Health
Not only our mind is happy about conscious nutrition, but also the body. Food should be nutritious and healthy. Finished products and fast food often contain a lot of additives such as preservatives and flavor enhancers. The substances can be harmful to health, especially in large quantities. If you cook fresh yourself, you can do without such artificial ingredients – and get better quality and healthier meals.
3. Sustainability
The aim of Slow Food is to shape human nutrition in such a way that it can continue to exist in the future. A sustainable supply respects people, animals and nature.
4. Common Good
Social inequality is also a consequence of the consumption-oriented food system. Justice can only exist if everyone involved along the production chain works under fair conditions. In our current economic system, workers are systematically exploited for food production, especially in countries of the Global South, but also in Europe.
To change that, the Slow Food association founded the Terra Madre network. The network represents food producers worldwide who offer an alternative to industrial agriculture.
Food is political
Nutrition is an issue that affects everyone around the world. Without being fundamentalist, the Slow Food movement offers an alternative to unbridled consumption. Through enjoyment and awareness of our diet, we can create alternatives that not only benefit ourselves, but also the environment and community.
