Slow Food stands at the crossroads of ecology and gastronomy, ethics and pleasure. It opposes the standardization of taste and culture, and the unrestrained power of the food industry multinationals and industrial agriculture. Our association believes in the concept of neo-gastronomy - recognition of the strong connections between plate, planet, people and culture.
Our Vision
We envision a world in which all people can access and enjoy food that is good for them, good for those who grow it and good for the planet.
Our Mission
Slow Food is an international grassroots membership organization promoting good, clean and fair food for all.
Good, Clean and Fair
Slow Food's approach to agriculture, food production and gastronomy is based on a concept of food quality defined by three interconnected principles:
GOOD a fresh and flavorsome seasonal diet that satisfies the senses and is part of our local culture;
CLEAN food production and consumption that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health;
FAIR accessible prices for consumers and fair conditions and pay for small-scale producers.
Co-producers
Collectively our consumer choices can bring great change to how food is cultivated, produced and distributed. To highlight this, we consider ourselves co-producers - eaters who are informed about where and how their food is produced and actively support local producers, therefore becoming part of the production process.
Local Identity
We are committed to protecting traditional and sustainable quality foods, defending the biodiversity of cultivated and wild varieties as well as cultivation and processing methods. Through maintaining the diversity of regional food and agricultural traditions, the wisdom of local communities can be preserved to protect the ecosystems that surround them and to offer sustainable prospects for the future.
Making Connections
Slow Food believes that food is tied to many aspects of life, including culture, politics, agriculture and the environment. This is why we are an active player in a wide variety of areas, from education to agricultural policy. To work across this broad sphere, Slow Food defends biodiversity in our food supply, promotes food and taste education and connects sustainable producers to co-producers through events and building networks.
Documents
The Slow Food association officially came into being when delegates from 15 countries signed the Slow Food Manifesto in 1989.
The Declaration of Puebla was ratified at the fifth Slow Food Congress in 2007, as a pledge to continue the journey started 18 years earlier.
The Slow Food Manifesto for Quality outlines the good, clean and fair principle.
The Central Role of Food was discussed and ratified at the sixth Slow Food Congress in 2012.
