Mary Ann and I have talked about organic foods, composting, and other green food ideas, but I don’t think we’ve talked about the Slow Food Movement.
The philosophy of Slow Food Movement is simple – good, clean, and fair food. Food that tastes good, is processed in a clean way, and doesn’t harm the environment, animals, or us. And fair food isn’t about corn dogs and cotton candy – it is about the people bringing your food to you being fairly compensated for their work.
The mission of the Slow Food Movement is simple to – to save traditional grains, fruits, animal breeds, vegetables, and food products that are vanishing due to fast food convenience and changes by the agriculture industry.
It sounds easy, but how many of us really taste and enjoys our food nowadays? We may grab a fast food burger on the way to soccer practice and gobble it down without much thought. But the Slow Food Movement wants people to think of where their food came from, appreciate it (or realize it for the intestinal garbage it is), and understand how it is made. Does your youngster go to a school that grows a garden so children can see where vegetables come from? That is part of the Slow Food Movement! The movement also seeks to involve the producers of the food with the consumer, calling them “co-producers” because they are becoming more involved in the whole food process.
There are actually many countries involved in the Slow Food Movement. It started back in 1986 when the Aricigola, the Slow Food Movement predecessor, was formed in Italy. In 1989, the movement was constituted in Paris with delegates from 15 countries attending. Countries such as the United States, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Ireland, Japan, Brazil, Kenya, Mexico, Spain, and Belgium have all set up their own movements and began sponsoring events. There are now over 100,000 members worldwide.
Visit the Slow Food Movement web page to find out more about the organization and their events.
(The copyright holder of this image hereby releases it into the public domain. This applies worldwide.)
