Slow Food Movement - Research Paper Example

Task Slow Food Movement Slow Food Movement is an organization that began immediately after the approval of its manifesto by thedelegates from 15 countries that had earlier been written by the founder Folco Portinari in 1986 but became a nonprofit movement in 1989 (Malatesta et al 42). The movement has 850 chapters, also known as local convivias, and they serve as the expressions for the movement’s ideology. Convivias nurture the relationship between the producers, appoint other convivia to attend to international events and organize events to try foods. The movement started in Bra, Italy the hometown of the founder, and then merged with another group in America that liked the ideas. The organization aimed at ensuring that the food does not cause harm to consumers but brings joy. The snail is the symbol of the movement as it moves slowly and eats during the journeys. The group undertakings aim at conservation of biodiversity in the food supply, train on taste and consolidate the producers and co-producers by conducting various events (Malatesta et al 5). The conservation of diversity comes amidst a period in which the world faces with the issues of convenience foods as well as agribusiness. Biodiversity reduces the spread of diseases between different plants as well as preserve soil fertility. It insists on the awareness of the general population on the safety of the food taken that is food should be free from contamination. The movement has about 80,000 members, which profoundly strengthens the movement, as it is accessible to all through its grassroots associates. The philosophy of the movement is the study of the quality of the food and taking the time to enjoy the food in a simple way to impart the daily life with joy (Malatesta et al 3). The movement considers consumers as co-producers because consumers they support the producers in preparation of food and usually get informed on food preparation. The movement obtains funds from various events, books and journal sales as well as the membership payments. The other sources of funding are the contributors or well-wishers, and institutions such as universities. The movement has an enormous budget distribution although it receives some subsides from the government book sales, membership payments (Malatesta et al 37). The philosophy of slow food is that food is more than just cooking and eating and that food should taste delicious, produced in a clean environment, and the producers should receive compliments for the good work (Malatesta et al 3). According to Julia Middleton, slow food is a concept, an approach of life and an approach of eating (Weir 10). Slow food educates the public on the production of healthy and wholesome food that is food prepared from the full raw materials. The major concerns within the movement circulate around good, clean and decent food to the co-producers. According to the book, the word good stands for delicious and nourishing food. The movement makes emphasis on the culture and the general population. The fair bit applies when the rich and the poor continue to enjoy healthy cooking and the farmers receive fair wages for their products (Weir 10). Clean indicates that the food sources for slow movement are safe and grown under proper agricultural practices (Weir 10). Most people within the community prefer local grown foods, as they are fresher than exported foods. Purchasing local food improves the local economy, protects green space, protect natural resources (Palmer 6). The movement carries out various projects in defense of biodiversity and members manage these projects around the globe (Malatesta, et al 10). Slow food utilizes the innovations and research projects from the food manufacturers and the traditional farmers (Malatesta, et al 11). Slow Food Movement has significant contributions to individuals and the community in general. Individually, the movement contributes to the good health and ensures that people eat food that contains the essential nutrients. The nutrients originate from the use of whole food products in preparation of full meals. The food production is hygienic, and this considerably reduces the survival of microbes in these foods. The program usually involves the consumers into the food production process allowing them to obtain more information on preparation of better and delicious foods. The contributions to the community are many such as events and initiatives held at times in a year. The events help to integrate the community and bring people from dissimilar cultures together allowing exchange of ideas. The ideas from these interactions can be used to develop better foods as well as provide for biodiversity. The passing of the ideas assists in ensuring that many people who are used to convenience foods get the ideas on biodiversity. Slow food is involved in school projects that are based on sustainability, traditions and pleasure. These projects have a basis on the fundamental principles of the slow food as they aim at provision of healthy, healthful and delicious foods (Palmer). The other concern is the traditional aspect of the foods that are eaten and these traditions may be ecological or cultural. The projects vary between the farm levels to commercial food production in hotels for both the small children to the seniors (Weir). The projects have majorly support schools in maintaining a healthy community and equipped students with ideas and knowledge. This has also helped in the biodiversity quest by the slow food, as young people within the school are aware of the issues surrounding them. This increases the number of people who are not dependant on the convenience foods. It has significantly helped in building a healthy population with the healthful foods provided for better taste and preference. The movement has been persuading farmers and orchards to produce the rare varieties of apples as a process of bio diversification. Slow food carries out educating sessions for chefs for local television shows and consumers. This has helped in the producing creative cooking recipes that better suit the people (Palmer 2). The movement collaborates with the conservative groups to carry out discussion on the way forward on the issue of diversity. The movement has also been engaging in workshops on various orchards management skills such as orchard restoration. In an effort to save the rare varieties, the movement has encouraged the establishment of small nurseries to provide seedling to small and large-scale orchards (Paul 7). The members are also involved in taking care of the land in an effort to protect the biodiversity for current and future generations. Advocating for the complimenting and compensation of farmers and producers who provide wholesome food to the nation. Further to providing rare seedling to orchards, the movement also ensures other rare crops are protected from extinction. The members also raise awareness on the need to utilize traditional and seasonal foods, as well as their growth (Severson). The movement helped the victims of Katrina Louisiana, where the movement raised money that helped in reopening of restaurants, and farmers to plant crops. The members of the movement helped a lot in returning the markets in that region (Severson). The movement has profoundly helped in the establishment of gardens in the school compound. The movement through school gardens, it provides the food sources for the school cafeterias. The movement has enormously helped to preserve the cultures and the heritages of different groups of people as it has played a vital role in protection of specific crop and animal species. The presence of the movement has helped the interaction of people from different convivias around the globe allowing the exchange of ideas. The organization has also added to the construction of various learning institutions such as university around the hometown of the founder. The other is the hotels that offer the slow foods to the students and people around the institution (Severson). Through the university, numerous researches has been carried out and helped in the establishment of more healthful food from the indigenous crops and animals. The breeds of the nearly extinct flora and fauna have been made possible reducing the threats to survival (Severson). From my point of view, the organization has achieved a lot by integrating the family unit as it works at all angles. The movement is all round as it incorporates the entire family unit that is for the child to the parents. The movement involves children in the various projects by the organization while the parents get involved both at the farm level and in preparation of the slow foods. The slow food program should begin a gradual switch to prevent subjection of the body to stress. Introduction of the program seems to work better if the changes are gradual, as the body will adapt better to these changes. After a gradual introduction, then an individual can manage to take this food in a more consistence manner. The various studies that carried out show that utilization takes place in a better way especially if taken in a slow manner. People who take food fast usually aimed at feeling satisfied, but for slow eaters, the food gets assimilated properly and gives time for the absorption of nutrients. The organization ensure sustainability by providing good, safe and fair food since everyone has the privilege to consume quality food without considering the social or economic factors. It promotes the traditions as well as the producers of a certain region by allowing the foods of the region to be known all over the world. The movement has profoundly contributed to the education of the populace on the matters regarding the foods that are more healthful and methods to prepare the foods with minimal nutrient loss (Malatesta et al 46). The movement has emphasized on the eliminating the demeaning outcome of the fast food and rediscovery of taste and aroma of traditional cooking. The answer to the problems brought about by fast foods that threaten the societal environment or surrounding. Slow food is a significant milestone in ensuring that communities embrace their culture, and have food safety through promotion of easily accessible food sources, as well as promotion of local farmers. Appreciation of the farmers markedly increases their morale to grow better crops applying the traditional methods that are acceptable. The movement has also continued and will continue to guarantee safe foods to the society helping to eliminate the diseases that are most likely brought about by poor eating and handling of food. It is my recommendation that more countries should join the movement in an attempt to save the fast reducing cultural foods and promote biodiversity within their countries. Works cited Malatesta Simona, et al. Slow food. The slow food companion. 13 Sep 2007. Web. 10 Nov 2011. Available at < http://www.slowfoodgtc.com/pdf/companion_eng.pdf > The book gives detailed information on the slow food movement starting from a brief description of the movement to the achievements. The philosophy, mission and the history of the movement are also discussed. It gives the readers a better understanding of the movement, its functions to the within the community. The book also gives information on the involvement of consumers as co-producers and the events around the world. Palmer, Sharon. What cooking? Nov 4, 2009. Web. Nov 10, 2011 Available at < http://walton.ifas.ufl.edu/community/documents/WhatsCooking.pdf> The document discusses the importance of consumption of local foods to the individuals as well as to the community. It further gives the effects of recession on the food habits of the people and the effects of the food on the quality of life. It also gives a brief description of the slow food movement and the principles of the movement. Paul, Gary. Forgotten fruits. Apples. 11 March 2010. Web. Nov 10, 2011 Available at < http://www.albc-usa.org/RAFT/images/Resources/applebklet_web-3-11.pdf > The book discusses the various varieties of apples and threats to extinction of the varieties. It also gives a list of the various varieties of these apples in America. The book provides the various efforts that are being carried out to prevent the fruits from becoming extinct. It also discusses the loss of diversity in the various apple species and encourages the growth of the almost extinct varieties. Severson, Kim. Slow Food Savors Its Big Moment. July 23, 2008. Web. Nov 10, 2011 Available at < http://www.columbia.org/pdf_files/slowfood2.pdf > The article discusses the various events that have been held around the world by the slow food movement. It gives an account of the various contributions of the movement to the community development. The article also provides the various quotes by officials from the slow food movement in different events around the world as well as the brief history of the movement. Weir, Kristen. How slow can you go? See ya, fast food. Slow food is the new cool. 25 Sep 2010. Web. Nov 10, 2011 Available at < http://dl.dropbox.com/u/425835/slow_food.pdf > The article discusses the mission of the slow food movement in three terms that is good, clean and fair. The terms have great applications in the movement and gives examples of their applications in respect to the slow food movement. It also explains the implications of the slow food in comparison to the fast foods. The articles gives the advantages of eating food slowly as compared to eating food faster, Read More