Slow Food turns 30, or does it?

These days I only see Carlin Petrini on TV and lately I’ve been seeing him a lot because many programs are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the founding of Slow Food. On my part, I would personally like to wish him my heart-felt very best. Slow Food has been fundamental in drawing attention to the most important questions regarding sustainable agriculture and food awareness. I agree with everything Petrini maintained in his book “Good, Clean and Right”, which itself is marking the 10th anniversary of its publication and has just been reprinted. And I cannot forget my many years of collaboration with Slow Food’s historic core group: Gigi Piumatti, Piero Sardo, Maura Biancotto, Silvio Barbero and Giacomo Mojoli, all old and dear friends. That said, if memory serves me well Slow Food’s founding manifesto, drawn up by Petrini and Folco Portinari, with contributions from Stefano Bonilli, came out in 1989. In 1986, on the other hand, not Slow Food but Arci Gola was created with a congress that saw Petrini joined by the top brass at the Italian Cultural Recreational Association (Arci), Enrico Menduni first among them. Slow Food began to take form much later and its name came from a quip made by Bonilli, who for years has rightfully laid claim to this. Nevertheless, I have no desire to rain on anyone’s parade, quite the contrary, and it is absolutely true that Slow Food emerged from the experience of Arci Gola and involved the same people and dealt with the same subjects. Thus there is every reason to celebrate this occurrence and remember those pioneering days when Acri Gola was among the founders of Gambero Rosso, which will mark its 30th anniversary on December 16. However, this latter event will take place without any of its founding members still part of the organization, which fortunately cannot be said about Slow Food, something I hope will not be overlooked.