The gastronome and sociologist Carlo Petrini is the founder of the international Slow Food movement, the main reaction to stop the spread of fast food establishments and culture. For 30 years, Petrini has been aware that fast food culture can destroy the identity of the communities that are home to traditional foods and local products. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has recognized the founder of the Slow Food movement, Carlo Petrini, with the Champions of the Earth award for his outstanding contribution to the environment and sustainable development.
Petrini thus joins the exclusive list of eight winners of this emblematic UN award that recognizes outstanding pioneers and leaders in the fields of politics, science, and civil society. In the context of global food security, his movement has become a formidable force in defending local food traditions, protecting local biodiversity, and promoting quality products on a small scale, with a growing interest in investment in the South.
