The slow food movement and the art of valuing what we eat
The world is moving faster and faster. From a very young age, we are taught to get dressed quickly, to finish our homework quickly or even, often unintentionally, to eat quickly in order to adapt to a routine that is always wrapped up in the speed of things.
In the midst of all this daily hustle and bustle, and more than a quarter of a century ago, the Slow food movement, the art of eating with care, with particular emphasis on quality and therefore taking into account the origin of the raw materials, the ingredients and the way they are cooked, emerged strongly in the field of food.
The Salone del Gusto 2018, organised by this movement, closed in Turin on September 24.
From the Mexican milpa to the diet of the Maasai in Kenya, indigenous peoples brought to this fair their idea of healthy eating as an antidote to the diseases of the 21st century, something they have been practising since time immemorial.
A movement present in 160 countries
The Slow Food movement emerged in 1986 at the initiative of the Italian, Carlo Petrini, and a group of activists with the initial aim of defending regional traditions, good food, gastronomic pleasure, as well as a slow pace of life.
After two decades of history, the movement has evolved to accommodate a global approach to food that recognises the strong relationships between our food, the people who produce it, our planet, politics and culture.
Today Slow Food represents a global movement involving thousands of people and projects in more than 160 countries.
Responsibility at mealtimes
The Slow Food movement works to prevent the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions, counter the rise of fast-paced lifestyles and combat the general lack of interest in the food we eat, where it comes from and how our food choices affect the world around us.
By learning about the origins of our food, the people who produce it and the methods of production, both children and adults will learn to combine pleasure with responsibility in our daily choices, as well as to appreciate the social and cultural impact of food.
Educating the sense of taste
Slow Food has numerous educational projects in various parts of the world that differ from most food education programmes in that they are based on the idea that food is synonymous with pleasure, culture and conviviality.
These projects are organised for a variety of audiences, from children to adults, teachers, Slow Food members and the general public.
These include: school gardens, guided tastings, farm visits, generational knowledge exchange, practical workshops and meals with producers.
In addition, Slow Food opened the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy in 2004 to offer a global perspective on the academic world of food.
Good, clean and fair food
The main objective of the Slow Food movement is that we can all have access to and enjoy food that is good for us, for those who produce it and for the planet, opposing the standardisation of taste and culture and the unlimited power of the multinational food industry and industrial agriculture.
Its three basic principles are:
-Good: Tasty, fresh, seasonal food that satisfies the senses and is part of the local culture.
-Clean: production and consumption of food that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or human health.
-Fair: affordable prices for consumers and fair rewards for producers.
This movement works in many parts of the world to protect food biodiversity, create links between producers and consumers and raise awareness of the urgent issues affecting our food system.
Eating sustainably and respecting our environment is always an option within our reach.
Do it slowly
I recently got to know the Cittaslow association , an idea that was born two decades ago in a small town in Tuscany.
This interesting initiative is an association that unites the philosophy of slowfood, eco-gastronomy, with cities; it promulgates considering the city itself as a definitive element in people's quality of life and therefore in their happiness. Obvious, isn't it?
These are ideas that can really be defined as "common sense"; these types of concepts arise at a historical moment when everyone is talking about "a paradigm shift".
In a society in which everything that is valuable is material or round (see football), everything drags us towards emptiness, subsisting from the intangible, from the world of ideas, of values, is quite a feat.
These decision-makers, most likely mayors, who decide to associate themselves with Cittaslow, who are attracted to recover, enhance and protect a way of life, a calm, slow and silent life.
At some point, they have questioned what is really essential and have appreciated the importance of knowing how to stop, to contemplate, to see beyond, they have questioned what has really made them happy.
For all this, we need to stop. To become aware of the succession of the seasons, to value the work done with the hands (really done with the heart; craftsmanship), the value of art, the authenticity of products, the value of a good meal or a good wine...
I call all this culture.
- Knowing how to smell.
- Knowing how to taste.
- Knowing how to look.
- Knowing how to enjoy.
At Senda we understand that development based on these values IS possible. These are the keys that move us and also, of course, to contribute with our grain of sand in the joy of a life made from the sum of experiences that are worthwhile.
Sustainability as a core value
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