Slow Food seeks to defend biodiversity in our food supply, spread the education of taste and link producers of excellent foods to consumers through events and initiatives.
Slow Food links pleasure and food with awareness and responsibility – it has become an active player in agriculture and ecology through its understanding of food in relation to politics, agriculture and the environment.


Defense of Biodiversity

Slow Food combines the enjoyment of food and wine, with efforts to save the many traditional or local products (cheeses, vegetables, fruits, animal breeds etc..) that are disappearing due to the growth of convenience food and agribusiness.

Slow Food seeks to protect our food heritage through the Ark of Taste and Presidia projects (supported by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity), the Slow Food Award for Biodiversity and Terra Madre (Slow Food’s international conference of food producer communities).


Taste Education

Education is an important purpose for a convivium - whether it be organising initiatives in schools, such as the school gardens project, or educating people about real food with taste!

Slow Food believes that we must make a conscious effort to explore, question and experiment. Convivia activities introduce new foods to members while Taste Workshops offer guided tastings with food experts.

Slow Food in Schools aims to benefit younger eaters, while the University of Gastronomic Sciences is for true gastronomes!


Linking Producers and Consumers

Whether local, national or international, Slow Food Convivia organise or take part in fairs, events and markets to showcase products of real quality.

Slow Food's major international food festival is the Salone del Gusto, held every two years in Turin, Italy, which has over 130,000 visitors. It provides a market for products and producers from all over the world, and a cornucopia of foods to be tasted and bought by the public.