What does Slow Food stand for?
Slow Food believes that food should be GOOD, CLEAN and FAIR.
GOOD food is delicious and nutritious.
CLEAN food is created from healthy plants and animals in a way that supports communities and the environment.
FAIR food is produced in sustainable systems that pay all participants a living wage and can be accessed by everyone.
In short, Slow Food envisions a world in which all people can eat food that is good for them, good for the people who grow it and good for the planet.
How did the Slow Food movement get started?
The Slow Food movement began in 1989 in Italy as a response to the growing influence of fast food on local eating habits and culture, specifically the opening of a McDonald’s in Rome. Slow Food USA started in 2000. Today, Slow Food organizations are found in more than 160 countries, with more than 150 U.S. chapters.
How did the Slow Food Santa Fe Chapter get started?
The local Santa Fe chapter was founded in 2003 by award-winning food writer, chef and cooking teacher Deborah Madison.
What do Slow Food organizations do?
Slow Food USA and Slow Food International sponsor several major gatherings, including the annual Slow Food Nations in Denver and the Terra Madre festival, held in Italy every other year, respectively. They lead significant campaigns such as The Ark of Taste, a living catalog of delicious and distinctive foods that might disappear within a few generations without intervention, make available valuable information on important issues of food and farm policy, and so much more. (New Mexico food in the Ark of Taste include: Bolita Bean, Chicos, Greenthread tea, New Mexico Native Chile Pepper, Piki Bread, Wenk’s Yellow Hot Pepper.)
Importantly, Slow Food USA and Slow Food International serve as resources for local chapters that are the heart of the Slow Food movement. Each chapter is a bit different, depending on geography and member interest. This means at the local level Slow Food chapters look different from place to place.
Some chapters focus on protecting traditional foods and agricultural biodiversity. Others focus on advocating for healthier school lunches for children and programs to teach kids and parents how to select and cook nutritious and sustainable meals. Some chapters work to create socially just and sustainable food systems in low-income areas. Others labor to connect to small-scale farmers to appreciative consumers who buy their products. Some chapters may focus more on local chefs and gourmet cooking. Others emphasize learning about different foods cultures and cuisine and enjoying communal meals.
What all share is a general interest in increasing awareness of food's taste, history, environmental impact, cultural significance, production techniques, economics and nutritional benefits.