Slow Food is a movement, which started in Italy 24 years ago and is now present in 150 countries in the world with the aim of promoting the farming and the consumption of local vegetables, fruit, meat and other products. Slow food also highlights the importance of using the best quality products at the best price in a  given season, discusses Nicole Hervieu.

In Tuscany, this movement is well represented mainly in the areas of Grosseto and Sienna.  In Grosseto, the Maremma Milk production cooperative is present all over Tuscany and parts of Lazio and in Emilia Romagna with a wide variety of products.

Near Grosseto, in Communitá Montana Amiata, the ‘Protection of the Biodiversity of Chestnuts’ represents an interesting EU supported initiative for the region. The chestnuts can also be sold and used to prepare flour.  In the area, profitability of chestnuts is well recognized.  It is important to use the products of the region even if there is a high importation from various countries like Turkey where the cost is much lower but the quality is also not comparable.  In fact it has been pointed that the ‘zero kilometres’ for vegetables and fruit is an important factor to reduce the transportation cost of these products and to maintain their freshness and quality.

Slow Food restaurants are also well represented in Tuscany and the dinner at the restaurant Il Grillo in Chiusi offered us a way to discover the fantastic wine and the high quality of their products.  Slow Food allows the producers to present their best local products such as olive oil and wine, to slowly but surely develop their international reputation.