Carlo Petrini, the visionary founder of the Slow Food movement, passed away on Friday at the age of 76 in his hometown in Italy’s northwestern Piedmont region, the organization announced. Slow Food described him as "a visionary leader and a public intellectual with a profound commitment to the common good, human relationships and the natural world."
The Birth of Slow Food
Initially called Arcigola, the movement emerged in 1986 as a protest against the arrival of fast food in Italy. Activists gathered on the steps of the newly opened McDonald’s at Rome’s Spanish Steps to announce their mission. On December 9, 1989, in Paris, Petrini was elected president when more than 20 delegations from around the world signed the Slow Food Manifesto. He held the position until 2022.
Core Philosophy and Global Reach
The movement was built on the principle that food should be "good, clean and fair." It rapidly expanded across Italy and to over 160 countries. Restaurants adhering to these principles display the Snail of Approval, a sticker featuring the iconic snail logo. Petrini also founded Terra Madre in 2004, creating a network of farmers, fishers, chefs, and academics to further the mission.
Academic and Environmental Contributions
In 2004, Petrini established the University of Gastronomic Sciences, the first academic institution dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of food and food culture. This approach was recognized when the Italian government introduced a Bachelor’s degree in gastronomic sciences in 2017. The university has trained around 4,000 food professionals from 100 countries. In 2017, Petrini co-founded the Laudato Si’ Communities with Monsignor Domenico Pompili, applying principles from Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical through a network of 80 local groups.
Literary Legacy
Petrini authored several influential books, including Slow Food Nation: Why Our Food Should Be Good, Clean and Fair and Slow Food: The Case for Taste, which features a foreword by Alice Waters, a pioneer of the farm-to-table movement in the United States.
