Slow Food Movement

 Slow Food Movement

 Food production and consumption have raised a lot of rhetorical questions around the globe. The techniques used in growing and processing different kinds of foods is creating worries to the consumers. It may sound odd to say this but the research conducted not only in America but also worldwide on the food industry indicate that a huge percentage of people are opting to take fast foods in supermarkets or restaurants not putting in mind the health risks they are exposing their bodies to. Therefore, Slow Food Movement was founded with a global initiative focusing on encouraging people to stop consumption of fast foods (Williams et al, 2015). Besides, this movement not only focusses on the nutrition of people but also preserving the heritage and culture of foods. The Slow Food Movement has tremendously grown to different parts of the world since it appreciates and promotes native food traditions (Lee et al, 2015).

This movement is bound by several ideologies that come in hand in the promotion of consumption of slow foods. Generally, the movement is subjected to the principles of clean, good and fair food to everyone. The processes of food production, as well as consumption, must use the available resources wisely and protect the ecosystems and biodiversity of the food culture and the health of consumers (Altuna et al, 2017). Apparently, the foods should have good taste, flavorsome and healthy which is as a result of competent producers, processors and chefs. These foods should have fair prices which are affordable to all consumers.

Furthermore, the artistic traditional food heritage of every social group is withheld. The movements encourage farmers to practice the old environment-friendly methods of cultivation to grow organic and natural foods. Consequently, it promotes forums and campaigns to promote indigenous food production and culture (Lee et al, 2015).

The Slow Food Movement do not put any barriers or restrictions to anyone who is willing to participate in the movement so long as the individual or organization is ready to produce food which is within the set framework of the movement. Farmers are encouraged to abolish factory farming chemicals and additives but rather use natural resources which have less health-related and ecological concerns for large-scale agriculture (Altuna et al, 2017). The movement also incorporates Slow Food Organizations like SFUSA, Greensgrow and Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture which help in educating the mass about the benefits and pros of consumption of slow foods. The movement also collaborates with teachers in schools to educate the students the sense and importance of slow food products. It conducts taste workshops and conferences on food education to teachers and parents (Williams et al, 2015).

The positive impacts associated with slow food movement weigh more than the negative impacts. This movement safeguards the local ecosystem of the people practicing this type of farming. This is due to the fact that the farmers use the traditional agricultural techniques in their production. Abolishing the use of agro-chemicals results to a safe environment for the people to settle since they expose the environment to hazards which later lead to climate change (Uzel, 2016). In addition, the health of the consumers is reinstated to high levels due to few in-take of bacteria and dangerous metals which can lead to cancer. Moreover, the food culture and heritage is promoted by the movement practices. Biodiversity in the food world is boosted because different communities are encouraged to grow their indigenous foods. Moreover, rapid investment and agricultural growth are encouraged.

Despite the movement having strengths, weaknesses are also witnessed. Some of the strengths of the slow food movement include its ability to preserve cultivar genetic diversity by supporting the local foods (Williams et al, 2015). Through the application of organic farming methods, it has protected the biodiversity on agricultural lands and geographical surrounding areas. In the same context, the movement has helped in the preservation of local and small-scale farmlands. This has been made possible by eating local foods from the small-scale farms which use ‘heritage’ and organic seeds (Uzel, 2016). Another strength is that the movement has promoted local producers by giving them a strong sense of the potential of their places. Weaknesses of the movement entail the higher pricing of the foods since their mode of production is absolutely organic and few people are willing to pay high prices for slow foods. Moreover, the slow foods take a lot of time by the time they reach maturity and are ready for processing. Their production requires the soil to be free from pesticide hence resulting in more intensive labor in the farms.

The Slow Food Movement will lead to a healthier consumption of food products in the future leading to a heathy generation (Altuna et al, 2017). However, it will lead to a high cost of production in the future food production due to increased labor charges. Consequently, food security maybe at danger since the organic food produced will not be able to feed the world’s population. Additionally, a lot of food production companies may end up being shut down due to little purchase of the agrochemicals (Uzel, 2016).

In conclusion, the Slow Food Movement is a great idea and has a lot of positive impact on the world’s population. Nevertheless, I feel the initiative will take decades if not centuries to be adopted by majority parts of the globe due to its delay in production and high-cost pf production. There are more people in the world who rely on the government ‘peanuts’ to feed their families leading to the slow adoption of slow foods.

 

References

Altuna, N., Dell’Era, C., Landoni, P., & Verganti, R. (2017). Developing radically new meanings through the collaboration with radical circles: Slow Food as a platform for envisioning innovative meanings. European Journal of Innovation Management, 20(2), 269-290.

Lee, K. H., Packer, J., & Scott, N. (2015). Travel lifestyle preferences and destination activity choices of Slow Food members and non-members. Tourism Management, 46, 1-10.

Williams, L. T., Germov, J., Fuller, S., & Freij, M. (2015). A taste of ethical consumption at a slow food festival. Appetite, 91, 321-328.

Uzel, R. A. (2016). New dimension of slow food movement using supercritical fluid technology and methods to influence society by effective marketing strategies. Food Science and Technology International, 22(5), 365-376.