Slow Food

About Slow Food

Slow Food USA is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to supporting and celebrating the food traditions of North America through programs and activities dedicated to Taste Education, Defending Biodiversity and Building Food Communities. Slow Food USA believes that pleasure and quality in everyday life can be achieved by slowing down, respecting the convivial traditions of the table and celebrating the diversity of the earth's bounty. From the spice of Cajun cooking to the delicious simplicity of produce at a farmers' market; from animal breeds and heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables to handcrafted wine and beer, farmhouse cheeses and other artisanal products; these foods are a part of our cultural identity. They reflect generations of commitment to the land and devotion to the processes that yield the greatest achievements in taste. These foods, and the communities that produce and depend on them, are constantly at risk of succumbing to the effects of the fast life, which manifests itself through the industrialization and standardization of our food supply and degradation of our farmland. By reviving the pleasures of the table, and using our taste buds as our guides, Slow Food USA believes that our food heritage can be saved. Our goal is to put the carriers of this heritage on center stage and educate our membership about the importance of these principles. We hope you will join us. Slow Food USA oversees Slow Food activities in North America, including the support and promotion of the activities of more than 170 chapters that carry out the Slow Food mission on a local level. Each chapter offers educational events and public outreach that promote taste education, that advocate sustainability and biodiversity and that connect producers and "co-producers."