It’s a way of saying no to the rise of fast food and fast life. Slow Food means living an unhurried life, taking time to enjoy simple pleasures, starting at the table.

The snail was chosen because it moves slowly, calmly eating its way through life. It also happens to be a culinary specialty in the area around the northern Italian town of Bra, where the Slow Food movement was born.

Bra is the hometown of Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini. Located in a region famous for its wines, white truffles, cheese and beef; it proved to be the perfect incubator for the Slow Food movement.

Anyone! The goal of the Ark of Taste is to create a vast catalog with contributions from many people to represent the planet’s edible diversity at risk of being lost. You do not need to be an expert, have particular skills or even be a Slow Food member. The only prerequisite is an interest in the product and commitment to do a little research. You many nominate a product from your own area, but also from other communities or towns, for example a cheese, fruit variety or jam discovered during a trip or holiday. All nominations will be assessed by the Ark Commission to gauge their suitability for inclusion. Find out more or nominate a product. 

The international association receives most of its funding from membership fees and contributions from sponsors.  The Slow Food national associations receive membership fees, as well as additional funds from other sources, such as sponsors and institutions. Slow Food Italy, the oldest national association, boasts the most developed forms of fundraising, including the for-profit publishing house Slow Food Editore and Slow Food Promozione, which organizes major events such as Salone del Gusto, sells advertising space in its publications and sources sponsors that comply with the Slow Food philosophy. In accordance with the statute, Slow Food Editore and Slow Food Promozione reinvest all income into the organization.

Yes. Slow Food follows fundraising guidelines designed to create long-term partnerships with donors and sponsors, based on mutual understanding and shared philosophies. Donors and sponsors cannot conduct activities that conflict with the movement’s philosophy, and Slow Food reserves total autonomy over its own choices and activities. Download the complete fundraising guidelines.

The membership fees are divided between the local convivia and Slow Food’s international headquarters. On a local level, they are used to plan convivium activities. Internationally, they are used to fund projects for biodiversity. Once a national association is established, the membership fee goes to support it, while the national association, in turn, supports Slow Food International.

No. The  Slow Food logo is a registered trademark and can be used only in connection with Slow Food’s international, national and local convivia events. Download guidelines for use of the Slow Food logo.

No. Although Slow Food supports the principles behind organic agriculture, such as promoting methods that have a low impact on the environment and reducing the use of pesticides, it also argues that organic agriculture, when practiced extensively, is similar to conventional monoculture cropping. Organic certification alone should therefore not be considered a sure sign that a product is grown sustainably. Most of the Slow Food Presidia practice organic techniques, however very few are officially certified on account of the high costs of certification.