Before the retreat, we had perceived Slow Food as just a new fad that’s making its wave in the market. Our Slow Food experience on the retreat made us hungry to know more’, reports  Bethlehem Tafesse, Ericka Sorensen and Lourdes Lim. 

Considering that we are greatly concerned about our health, about the food we eat and the environment we live in, we spent an ample amount of time after the retreat researching and browsing through the Slow food movement websites- those most relevant to the aforementioned concerns.

Did you know that Slow food is a worldwide movement founded by an Italian NGO in 1989 in Piedmont, Italy  with 100,00 members in an attempt to counteract the then mushrooming trend of fast food and the disappearance of local food traditions? Or that Slow Food is present in 150 countries worldwide including in the USA, home to most popular fast food chains? If you want to know what Slow FoodUSA chapter is up to, visit the website.

Moreover, did you know that Slow Food is also collaborating with a variety of schools through their Slow Food Canteen programme? Today, the programme has 12 schools participating from 10 European countries since it was first launched in mid-2009 . More in line with our work, did you also know that from 2004, FAO officially recognizes Slow Food as a non-profit organization and stipulates a collaboration agreement with them?

The Slow movement is moving full speed ahead to defend food biodiversity by developing networks through food events, where people can understand where food comes from, how it is produced and by whom, thereby creating awareness, connecting producers and consumers. We certainly recommend keeping an eye on the Slow food upcoming events.   

As we learned more about the movement, we thought to ourselves, “hey aren’t we to some extent slow foodies?” It’s a way of life that has always lived with and among us. We enjoy going to the fresh market for a weekly food supply and buy products directly from trusted local producers with which we have established a certain level of acquaintance. We prefer buying directly from small-scale producers such as for olive oil, honey and cottage cheese than branded products.

Have you noticed recently that farmers’ market has been gaining popularity in some places in Rome? Is it just another trend or is it out of necessity?  The global financial crisis has been hurting everyone’s pocket – consequently people who are forced to find alternative ways to meet both ends are rediscovering Slow food. And this is creating a chain reaction that is filtering down to the very small farmers. It may sound odd, but rising transport and food prices have increased the appeal of buying local (avoiding transport and wholesaler/retailer surcharges by going to the nearby producer that you can personally meet) and diminished the appeal of big suppliers, chains and fast food.  Food quality issues also contribute to the rise in Slow Food. 

The Slow Food movement is well-aligned with IFAD's mandate to improve nutrition, help small farmers and minimise adverse impacts on the environment. We can help locally too, by purchasing locally produced goods and services over those that are produced miles away (Say goodbye to pineapple, avocado and mangoes?). However, there are always setbacks to successfully promote Slow Food. One of these is TIME. Given the rat race pace we live in,  I wonder who among us has the time to spend hours in the kitchen on a daily basis to prepare for their family traditional meals based on local and unprocessed produce. The challenge facing Slow Food is the extent to which people are willing to compromise speed, in return for quality; and the extent to which supporters of the Slow Food network can ensure that the need to compromise, one for the other, is minimised.

In conclusion, we believe that IFAD NEN division should further discuss and explore partnerships with the slow food movement network to see how it can be applied to the countries in our region. NEN should also highlight the countries that are already promoting these types of activities even if not through the Slow food movement organization.