A Tribute to Carlo Petrini, Founder of the Slow Food Movement

A Tribute to Carlo Petrini, Founder of the Slow Food Movement

Carlo Petrini created a global community that deeply touched me and with whom I now grieve given his passing on May 21. He died in Bra, Italy, his town of birth and the home of the Slow Food movement. He will be remembered for adding transformational momentum to the global movement to create a healthier and more just world. He did this by spreading joy and making us think deeply about food’s defense of cultures and the failures of our modern food system. He also demonstrated that people working together with an audacious vision and open hearts can change the world.

He stepped up to become the leading food movement voice when he assembled his friends to demonstrate against the first Italian McDonald’s back in 1986. He picked an iconic target to make the point that the industrial mindset obliterating diversity in its many forms must be replaced by an ecologic and humanistic food system. By 1989, the movement was becoming global. When I first saw him speak, I was compelled because he was talking about a serious issue with humor and positivity. His words were not depressing, they were uplifting. And he gave us some fun things to do: identify and defend foods that were endangered, buy from the farmers producing them, and join his then little movement. And so I did. 

Within a few years I had a front-row seat to watch him work. He initiated exciting and strategic action, surrounded himself with able colleagues and allied organizations that were inspired by those ideas and committed to realizing them. Among his many contributions have been the Ark of Taste, the University of Gastronomic Sciences, and the Terra Madre/Salone del Gusto events. 

The Ark is a global list of over 6,000 crops, livestock and prepared foods needing protection around the world. Slow Food members in the US have placed over 400 items on the Ark. Globally, the Ark’s existence has inspired farmers, ranchers, and makers to commit to these products. Markets have been developed and as a result nearly all items on the list have been sustained. 

In Pollenzo, a small town a few kilometers from Bra, the University operates in the former palace of the last King of Italy. Four thousand students have graduated from its programs since 2004. Before 2020, the students would travel to California. On two occasions I hosted them in my home to break bread and share lessons with local allies from the food movement, creating rich memories for us all. The graduates of the university become food writers, entrepreneurs, and activists contributing in myriad ways to creating a “good, clean and fair” food system. 

Terra Madre, which also began in 2004, has given tens of thousands of farmers, ranchers, pastoralists, fishers, cooks, and makers from around the world the respect and love they deserve for not only feeding us, but conserving cultures and protecting species, landscapes, traditions, and flavors. These giant convenings, which are now being replicated globally and bring thousands of small food producers together with the public, build momentum for all streams of the food movement. The inaugural Terra Madre Americas event last September in Sacramento attracted 160,000 people! Literally millions of people have learned about food and culture, food and justice, agriculture, and biodiversity through these events.

My favorite Carlo story reveals what made him great. He was traveling when a man approached and introduced himself as the owner of McDonald’s franchises in Italy. Instead of dismissing or demeaning the man with harsh words, Carlo thanked him for creating the opportunity for Slow Food to exist and to grow. His impulse was to communicate with a kind heart and offer respect. This was the key to his charisma.

He remained positive, saw the paths forward and the teachable moments. With these attributes he moved a future king and then a sitting Pope to take a stand in defense of small producers, endangered food cultures, and the environment. He modeled how to think big, find talented colleagues, and foster alliances that build the momentum capable of changing the world. Carlo Petrini will be missed by those who knew him, but the world at large will continue to benefit from his good work.

Michael has been a Slow Food member since 1997 and as Chairman of Slow Food USA served on the Slow Food International board from 2002-07.

To learn more about Carlo, see these links;

His biography
Key moments in his work
NY Times Obituary
NY Times: For Carlo Petrini, the Point of ‘Slow Food’ Wasn’t the Food; It Was Us

Image by Michael Dimock. Photos of Carlo, January 2019, A 16 Restaurant, San Francisco, CA.