Founder of the Slow Food movement, Carlo Petrini dies in Italy

Carlo Petrini was considered a "European Hero" and one of the people capable of "saving the world".
Slow Food/ Disclosure
The Italian gastronome, journalist and writer Carlo Petrini died this Thursday (21), aged 76, in the city of Bra, in the Piedmont region, in Italy. The information was confirmed by Slow Food, an international movement defending a sustainable and fair food system founded by him. The cause of death was not given.
Born in 1949, Petrini gained worldwide recognition when he led a demonstration against the opening of a branch of the fast-food chain McDonald's in Piazza di Spagna, in Rome, in 1986. The protest gave rise to the Arcigola association (which would later become Slow Food Italy). In December 1989, the Slow Food Manifesto was signed in Paris by delegations from around the world.
Petrini was elected president of the movement in 1989 and led the organization until 2022, when he defended the transition of governance to new generations, being succeeded by Ugandan Edward Mukiibi. Since then, the Italian continued to serve on the entity's Board of Directors.
Under his leadership, Slow Food became a global network present in more than 160 countries. The concept is based on the philosophy of "good, clean and fair" food, combining environmental sustainability, cultural identity and social justice. Among the main milestones of the movement are the international Terra Madre meeting (created in 2004), the Vegetable Gardens in Africa, the Ark of Taste and the Slow Food Fortresses (Slow Food Presidia).
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Petrini also founded the University of Gastronomic Sciences (in Pollenzo, Italy), the first academic institution to offer an interdisciplinary approach to food studies. He served as president of the university, which has already trained around 4,000 gastronomists from 100 countries and whose coordination led the Italian government to officially recognize the baccalaureate course in the area in 2017.
In 2017, together with the Bishop of Verona, Monsignor Domenico Pompili, the activist founded the Laudato Si' Communities, a network of around 80 local groups inspired by Pope Francis' encyclical on the Beware of the "common home". The dialogue with the pontiff also resulted in the book Terrafutura (2020), one of his several works published over the years to debate eco-gastronomy and the challenges of the planet.
As a journalist, he wrote regularly for major Italian newspapers such as La Stampa, La Repubblica, Il Manifesto and Il Fatto Quotidiano. All revenue from his journalistic activities was reinvested in Slow Food and university projects.
European Hero
Carlo Petrini at the center
Slow Food/ Disclosure
Petrini's contributions were widely recognized by global bodies and universities. The activist received doctorates and honorary degrees from institutions such as the University of New Hampshire (USA), the University of Palermo, the International University College of Turin, the American University of Rome and the University of Messina (in 2025).
The United Nations (UN) also awarded his work in sustainable development. In 2013, the United Nations Environment Program named him winner of the Champions of the Earth award in the "Inspiration and Action" category. In 2016, he was named FAO Special Ambassador for Zero Hunger in Europe.
For his communication skills and social impact, Petrini was named a "European Hero" by Time magazine in 2004 and, in 2008, he was the only Italian included in the list of "50 people who could save the world" by the British newspaper The Guardian.
In an official statement, Slow Food mourned the loss and recalled one of his most famous phrases. famous: "He who sows utopia reaps reality."
"His energy, his determination and his lifelong dedication to others will continue to be a guiding force for the entire movement and for all those who shared his vision", says the statement.

Source: G1

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