A New Way of Eating: Slow Food's Contribution to a Shift in American Food Culture. By Darcy Mullen

 Started in 1986  Carlo Petrini voted President  Combating Standardization and Globalization  International Movement by 1989  15 countries at first conference in Paris  Promotion of values through different forms of education  Organized tastings, publications, university and school programs The Slow Food Movement

Buono, Pulito e Giusto: Good, Clean and Fair.  Working to save the traditional food cultures.  In the Slow Food movement there is a mutual understanding between the producers and consumers of the quality of the product.  Fast food has become even more prevalent in recent years making Slow Food’s objectives more pertinent.  Slow Food is combating many of the effects of fast food.  The name is the opposite of fast food.

The Growth of Fast Food in America  McDonald’s developed drive-inrestaurants into a factory style production– built for efficiency  Their production goal is to create astandardized product, no matter whereyou are.  McDonald’s now controls consumptionand production of the majority of beef,pork, tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes andapples in the United States.

Obesity in America since the start of Fast Food.  400,000 deaths per year are caused by obesityrelated diseases 1.  Obesity has tripled in the last 30 years. 2  It now affects children, who have bad nutrition inconjunction with their new, sedentary lifestyle The average child plays 7½ hours of video games aday 3 1 Super Size Me 2 Letsmove.gov 3 Letsmove.gov

Slow Food USA: Came to Brooklyn, New York in the year 2000 Today there are more than 200 local chapters around the country. Programs started since they have been active: Time for Lunch Campaign Youth Food Movement Renewing America’s Food Traditions

Food culture beyond the Slow Food movement A growth of programs, books, and movies with similar themes: Super Size Me, Fast Food Nation, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Jamie Oliver’s food revolution. Other projects like Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) developed rapidly.

Contrasting governmental actions: The United States Michelle Obama promotes healthy eating, local foods, and a movement fighting obesity. She created an organic garden at the White House in March of Promotes education around obesity and diabetes. Created the Let’s Move Campaign

Italy The country in which Slow Food was started already has a natural cultural value of food. Schools in some regions have been serving biological food to school children for years already. The minister of agriculture has been promoting the “McItaly” burger for McDonald’s. An all-Italian product to help the economy and farmers. Would use 1,000 tones of Italian meat each month. Slow Food proponents around Italy are not in support of this product. Luca Zaia, Italian Minister of Agriculture and Forestry

Where does that leave us?  The value of education is one of the mostimportant features in the Slow Food movement.  As people who live in this culture, it is important tosee the value of food. Even small steps help.  Everything ties back to health. If you are notpaying extra for healthier food, you will pay inhealth care costs.

Thank you.