SLOW FOOD 101: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MOVEMENT Carole Clark ccSCOOP Guest Food Writer Slow Food has nothing to do with slow cookers and Crock-Pots®. It is an idea, a way of living, and a way of eating. Slow Food has been described as everything that fast food is not. Slow Food is a global, grassroots movement with more than 85,000 members around the world which links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment. It maintains that nutritious food grown and harvested with methods that have a positive impact on our local ecosystems is as good for the planet as it is for our health.

Among the tenets of the Slow Food movement are that food is a universal right—food should be accessible to all, regardless of income, and should be produced by people who are treated with dignity and justly compensated for their labor.

The Slow Food movement, which began in Italy in 1989, is a member-supported not-for-profit gastronomic organization with chapters in 135 countries. Its mission is to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions, and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat—where it comes from and how it tastes.

Each of the members is a part of a convivium. The convivia, or chapters, are the local expression of the Slow Food philosophy. They build relationships with producers, campaign to protect traditional foods, organize tastings and seminars, encourage chefs to source locally, nominate producers to participate in international events, and work to bring taste education into schools. Most importantly, they cultivate the appreciation of pleasure and quality in daily life. Slow Food members can participate in convivium activities anywhere in the world.

Slow Food USA grew by 8,000 new members this year in 2008. Its mission is to create “dramatic and lasting change in the food system . . . [to] reconnect Americans with the people, traditions, plants, animals, fertile soils, and waters that produce our food . . . [and to] inspire a transformation in food policy, production practices, and market forces so that they ensure equity, sustainability, and pleasure in the food we eat.”

The national programs of Slow Food USA work to educate through school- and campus-based initiatives, promote local and regional foods, safeguard diversity, and connect people around the country with their culinary heritage.

Among the programs of Slow Food USA are:

Slow Food in Schools
Slow Food in Schools teaches youth about the values of eating locally, seasonally and sustainably through hands-on projects. Programs range from collaborating on curricula and after-school activities to improving school lunches and school garden programs.

US Ark of Taste
The Slow Food USA Ark of Taste is a catalog of more than 200 delicious foods in danger of extinction, among them, in New York, various kinds of heirloom pears, the Bronx grape, Oldmixon free peaches, and Wyandotte chickens. By promoting and consuming Ark products, Slow Food USA helps ensure that they remain in production and on our plates

Renewing America’s Food Traditions
Many of our unique “at risk” foods and food traditions have been rapidly disappearing. With these losses comes a decline in culinary knowledge and food rituals which link communities to place and their cultural heritage. If this culinary heritage is lost, future generations will be deprived of the nutrition and flavors found in these heritage foods. Managed by Slow Food USA, RAFT is an alliance of food, farming, environmental, and culinary advocates who have joined together to identify, restore, and celebrate America’s biologically and culturally diverse food traditions through conservation, education, promotion, and regional networking.

International Slow Food programs include:

Terra Madre
Terra Madre is an international network of more than 7,000 food producers, cooks, and university educators. Every two years, network delegates come together to discuss global food sustainability issues. The next Terra Madre takes place in the fall of 2010.

Salone del Gusto
In October of every even-numbered year, small-scale food producers from all over the world gather in Turin, Italy, to showcase their products for the more than 150,000 people who attend the events. Visitors sample products and cuisines from nearly every continent and participate in taste workshops.

Slow Fish
First held in the Italian port city of Genoa in 2004, this biennial sustainable seafood exhibition brings together fishers, processors, researchers, government agencies, and consumers to explore ways to combat the depletion of our fish stocks and enjoy seafood responsibly.

Cheese
Held in Bra, Italy, this biennial event is the leading international festival for artisanal cheese producers. The world’s most renowned artisans, cheesemongers, and shepherds come to present their cheeses to tens of thousands of visitors and host taste workshops.

Ark of Taste & Presidia
Overseen by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, the Ark of Taste is a catalog of hundreds of extraordinary products from around the world. Presidia are small projects to assist groups of artisanal producers worldwide

University of Gastronomic Sciences
UNISG was founded in 2004 to bring academic strength to the field of food studies and create a new definition of gastronomy. Four programs combine humanities, science, and sensory training for a multi-experiential understanding of food production.

More than 200 chapters, or convivia, in the United States carry out the Slow Food mission in their communities. They offer educational events and activities to promote sustainability and biodiversity and connect farmers, cooks, educators, students, and everyone else who cares about their food and the environment. In our region there are three convivia: Slow Food Western Mass, Slow Food Hudson Valley, and Slow Food Catskills. In October, Slow Food Western Mass held a three-course local foods dinner at Local 111 in Philmont.

As yet, there is no Slow Food convivium in Columbia County despite the fact that this area is so rich in both farming and patrons who support local agriculture. County locavores are true advocates for the principles of the Slow Food movement and might want to acknowledge this philosophy by uniting as a Slow Food convivium to promote the cause.

For information about the western Massachusetts convivium, which is based in Great Barrington, contact sarahdibben@mac.com or peterstanton@verizon.net.

To create a local convivium, call the Slow Food new chapter coordinator, Yuri Asano, at 212 260 8000 on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Her email address is yuri@slowfoodusa.org