At L’Olivera, we join the global Slow Food community in mourning and reaffirm his legacy in defending a food system that is good, clean and fair.

In recent days, we have received with deep sorrow the news of the passing of Carlo Petrini, known as Carlin, founder of the Slow Food movement and one of the most influential figures in the transformation of the global agri-food system.

We would like to join the entire global Slow Food community in expressing our sadness and our recognition of what his figure, his words and his commitment have meant for experiences such as L’Olivera.

Through him, we have learned that “eating is an agricultural act” and we have met countless friends involved across the entire agri-food chain, sharing the responsibility of working towards food that is “good, clean and fair”. His speeches have inspired our local and concrete work, in both rural and peri-urban contexts, while giving it a global dimension, connecting us to a multitude of “food communities” around the world.

“Eating is an agricultural act”

It was Professor Roser Romero, from the School of Agriculture of Barcelona, who in the 1990s first introduced us to this emerging movement, which we found genuine, inspiring and necessary. We visited Terra Madre for the first time in 2006 and, since then, the network that has been created has opened up knowledge and learning opportunities for us around the world.

The “Vignerons d’Europe” gatherings and, later, the “Slow Wine Coalition” have also allowed us to become part of a global network connected through shared values.

Thank you, Carlin, and thank you Slow Food. We will miss you, but we will continue working with the values you inspired and the legacy you have left to the organization and to countless producers around the world.

About Slow Food

Slow Food is an international movement founded in 1986 that promotes a food system based on products that are good, clean and fair, respecting both people and the environment.