cooladelaide.org

Source: Green News
Author: Vanessa Kugler
January 27, 2011

Slow Food, a network between grower and eater, agriculture and market, community and world…

It all started in 1986, when journalist Carlo Petrini helped to establish Arcigola, the forerunner of Slow Food. Petrini was joined by food and wine-loving politicians and a group called “Libera e Benemerita Associazione Amici del Barlo” (Free and Meritorious Association of Friends of Barlo) with the aim to promote awareness of local products and how to appreciate them.

The impetus behind it was that 1986 was the year that “mad cow disease” was first diagnosed, 19 people died from drinking wine laced with ethanol, and clouds of nuclear contamination left Chernobyl and devastated huge areas of the environment as well as the food supply. In the same year Carlo Petrini also took part in a campaign against the fast food chain McDonald’s opening a new outlet near the iconic and famous Spanish Steps in Rome that outraged many. (Unfortunately that battle was lost and the fast food outlet was allowed to open).

The official launch of Slow Food took place in Paris in 1989 with representatives from fifteen countries. Carlo Petrini was elected president, an office he still holds today, and the snail became the symbol of Slow Food. It stands at the crossroads of ecology and gastronomy, ethics and pleasure and opposes the standardisation of taste and culture.

Slow Food believes “that everyone has a fundamental right to the pleasure of good food and consequently the responsibility to protect the heritage of food, tradition and culture that make this pleasure possible.”

The Slow Food Network

The Slow Food Network is an international eco-gastronomic, not-for-profit organisation that has more than 100,000 members in 150 countries. Its members and supporters include farmers, artisan food makers, teachers, students, food and wine merchants, cooks, chefs, scientists and families.

Slow Food members in Australia join a local convivium (Latin word for “to feast and make merry”) to foster community awareness of Slow Food and develop its national and international projects.

After several years, Slow Food Australia now has a total of more than 2,000 members and 38 convivia in all regions across the country.

The main goal of the Slow Food Network is to arouse people’s interest in the food they eat, where it comes from and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. To do this they have created tasting workshops and other events through which we can learn about the source of our food, farming methods and the importance of food sustainability for the planet and ourselves.

Australian convivia organise major events and activities such as “A Taste of Slow” - is a biennial event in Victoria - comprising food forums, workshops and markets in Melbourne; as well as the “small food awards” in Western Australia; and the “Barossa Slow” in Adelaide.

On the other hand the Slow Food Network also works with artisan producers to help market their food and promote local businesses.

Everything they do is a reaction against globalisation of agricultural products and, as is evident in their name, to counteract fast food and fast life!

Slow Food Markets

In general Slow Food Markets support regular farmers’ markets to enable producers to promote good, fair and clean local and regional foods as well as inform consumers about quality seasonal foods and their health benefits.

What is most important is that the food tastes good and its production methods respect animals, the environment and people’s health.

Except for the Australian Capital Territory there are at least 10 Farmers’ Markets in every state of Australia.

Find your nearest farmers’ market and where to shop for the freshest products at Australian Farmers’ markets association.

Join the Slow Food Network

You are interested in Slow Food and the worldwide network? Why don’t you join the Slow Food Network?

Your support will help to sustain and create projects that not only protect the variety and biodiversity of food but also encourage greater food choices.

As a Slow Food member you will become part of a huge network of people with common goals and similar interests to yours and you can share your ideas and experience with them.

You can become involved as much as you want, by simply starting to share ideas and knowledge about food, or by organising events or by educating other people.

You can support Slow Food Australia for less than $2 a week and if you are under 30, it is less than $1.

For more information visit Slow Food in Australia.