Essay

Slow Food Movement

Table of Contents
ESSAY.............................................................................................................................................3
Using examples, critically discuss what the Slow Food Movement is in relation to food
consumption in the 21st century, its history, and its objectives, key areas of focus, underlying
principles and key activities........................................................................................................3
References........................................................................................................................................8

ESSAY
Using examples, critically discuss what the Slow Food Movement is in relation to food
consumption in the 21st century, its history, and its objectives, key areas of focus,
underlying principles and key activities.
In recent times population increase, industrial development, urbanization and
globalisation have drastically changed the patterns in food production. These changes have
profoundly affected human diets and ecosystems as well (Munjal, Sharma and Menon, 2016).
Due to these unsustainable patterns of consumption as well as production humanity is facing
economic, environmental and social crisis. Humans are now making overutilisation of resources
both in personal and absolute terms.
The concept of food security was also introduced which explains that food security exists
when everyone has proper access to safe, sufficient and nutritious meal daily in order to lead a
healthy and active life. However due to introduction of fast food unsustainable patterns for
consumption of food are increasing stress over supply of resources, ecosystems, human well
being and human social systems as well. These consumption patterns are also drivers of various
environmental pressure such as land erosion, degradation of land, unsustainable use of eater,
decline in fertility of soil, marine environment degradation due to overfishing and so on. Their
have also been increase in illness related to diets and healthcare budgets of families. These trends
of consumption are directly impacting accessibility of food and also security of nutrition
especially in under developed and developing countries.
In 1986 when McDonald's was first introduced in Italy there were a number of protests.
Carlo Petrini an Italian journalist took things in his hand and started planning on various ways to
get attention. However, even after these protests they could not keep McDonald's out but their
work was diverted towards another way which gave birth to Slow Food Movement. In three
years after these protests Petrini and some of his representative were prepared to sign Slow Food
Manifesto in Paris which spoke against fast food and fast life.
In order to defend various rights to gastronomic pleasure and also encourage slow life in
today's world, Slow Food Movement was introduced. It is the simplest form of alternative
present for fast life and fast food. Slow food is related to regional flavours, cultural cuisines and
traditional practices (Siniscalchi, 2018). This movement was started in 1986 in order to face all