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| Slow Food Editore | |
|---|---|
| Name | Slow Food Editore |
| Type | Publisher |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Carlo Petrini |
| Country | Italy |
| Headquarters | Bra, Piedmont |
| Distribution | International |
| Topics | Gastronomy, Agriculture, Sustainability, Food Culture |
Slow Food Editore Slow Food Editore is the publishing arm associated with the Slow Food movement, headquartered in Bra, Piedmont, Italy. It produces books, periodicals, guides, and educational materials that intersect with culinary heritage, biodiversity, and agricultural practices. The imprint collaborates with chefs, agronomists, historians, and activists to document traditional foodways and promote sustainable supply chains.
Slow Food Editore emerged from the foundation of the Slow Food movement by Carlo Petrini in the late 1980s, a reaction to events such as the 1986 McDonald's opening near the Spanish Steps and cultural debates around globalization. Early activities linked to organizations like Terra Madre and events such as the Salone del Gusto fostered publications chronicling gastronomic activism and terroir. The press developed within networks including Slow Food International, regional associations across Piedmont, collaborations with institutions like the FAO on biodiversity projects, and academic partnerships with universities such as the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo. Over time it expanded from Italian-language titles to translations and co-editions with publishers in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other markets.
Slow Food Editore issues a variety of formats: monographs, encyclopedic guides, cookbooks, reportage, and educational series. Signature outputs include inventories akin to the Ark of Taste, regional guides comparable to traditional Michelin Guide and contrasts with the Gault Millau approach, and thematic collections addressing products like Parmigiano-Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale, and varieties of olive oil. The publisher produces exhibition catalogues for events such as Terra Madre Salone del Gusto and collaborates on compendia with institutions like the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity and databases used by projects related to the Convention on Biological Diversity. It also issues pedagogical series for culinary schools and partnerships with the Fondazione Slow Food per la Biodiversità Onlus for field manuals and seed-saving guides.
The editorial line emphasizes culinary heritage, agrobiodiversity, and sustainable gastronomy, drawing from sources linked to movements and figures including Carlo Petrini, Alice Waters, E.F. Schumacher, and networks like Slow Food International and Terra Madre. It foregrounds product typicities such as Gorgonzola, Taleggio, Nebbiolo, and traditional cultivar studies linked to institutions like the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA). The philosophy intersects with policy arenas including the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Common Agricultural Policy debates, advocating small-scale producers represented by consortia like those for Parmigiano-Reggiano and Balsamic vinegar. Editorial choices favor ethnographic methods reminiscent of work by authors such as Carlo Petrini collaborators and scholars from the University of Gastronomic Sciences.
Contributors span chefs, historians, scientists, and activists: chefs like Massimo Bottura, Carlo Cracco, Giorgio Locatelli, and Nadia Santini; historians and writers such as Carlo Petrini (as movement founder and editor), Paolo Massobrio, and food historians connected to the Accademia Italiana della Cucina; agricultural scientists affiliated with FAO and researchers from the University of Gastronomic Sciences. Collaborations include photographers and journalists who have worked with outlets like La Repubblica, Il Corriere della Sera, The Guardian, and The New York Times to document projects. International voices feature practitioners connected to networks such as Seed Savers Exchange, Slow Food USA, Slow Food UK, and activists from biodiversity NGOs like WWF and Greenpeace.
Slow Food Editore maintains distribution channels in Italy and internationally through partnerships with booksellers, festival venues like the Salone del Gusto, and co-editions with European and North American publishers. Institutional partnerships include the University of Gastronomic Sciences, municipal cultural programs in cities such as Turin and Rome, and collaborations with culinary event organizers in Barcelona, Paris, London, and New York City. The press has engaged with certification bodies and consortia like those overseeing Protected Designation of Origin and Protected Geographical Indication products, and distributors that serve museum shops, specialty stores, and academic libraries.
Titles from Slow Food Editore have been cited in prize circuits and referenced in culinary scholarship, garnering attention from awards linked to gastronomy and publishing bodies in Italy and abroad. Works have been used in curricula at institutions such as the University of Gastronomic Sciences and recognized in coverage by outlets including BBC Food, La Stampa, and Corriere della Sera. The imprint’s projects—particularly those documenting endangered foodstuffs like entries in the Ark of Taste—have received commendations from conservation NGOs and food heritage platforms.
Critiques have targeted Slow Food Editore and its parent movement over perceived tensions between advocacy and commercialization, debates mirrored in controversies involving figures and institutions such as prominent chefs (Massimo Bottura among others), large agricultural lobbies, and policy disputes at forums like the World Trade Organization and European Commission agricultural debates. Commentators in publications such as La Repubblica, The Guardian, and academic journals have questioned editorial impartiality when co-producing content with industry partners or when regional branding intersects with consortia for products like Parmigiano-Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma. Discussions continue regarding representation of smallholders versus market-savvy producers within the Slow Food ecosystem.
Category:Publishing companies of Italy Category:Food and drink publishing