FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Italian Cultural Institute of New York

Presents:

CARLO PETRINI, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF GASTRONOMIC STUDIES An encounter with American students an "Slowness" believers

Tuesday, May 15, 2012- 4.30 - 6.00pm

Location

Italian Cultural Institute New York, 686 Park Avenue NYC

New York, May 11, 2012- The Italian Cultural Institute will host an encounter between Carlo Petrini - founder of Slow Food and the University of Gastronomic Studies - and American students and "Slowness" believers. Carlo Petrini will meet the students and the ex-students of the University of Gastronomic Studies to illustrate new projects and his University. As of today, Slow Food has over 100,000 members joined in 1,300 convivia - local chapters - worldwide, as well as a network of 2,000 food communities who practice small-scale and sustainable production of quality foods. Organized by volunteer leaders, local chapters carry out the Slow Food mission in their communities. Chapters offer educational events and activities to promote sustainability and biodiversity and connect farmers, cooks, educators, students and everyone else who cares about their food and the environment; local chapters are the heart of Slow Food movement. In the USA there are more than 200 chapters across the country that invite members and the greater community to taste, celebrate and champion the food and the food traditions important to their region. From the Slow Food Manifesto: "Speed became our shackles. We fell prey to the same virus: 'the fast life' that fractures our customs and assails us even in our own homes, forcing us to ingest fast- food. Appropriately, we will start in the kitchen, with Slow Food. To escape the tediousness of "fast-food", let us rediscover the rich varieties and aromas of local cuisines. Inthe name of productivity, the 'fast life' has changed our lifestyle and now threatens our environment and our land (and city) scapes. Slow Food is the alternative, the avant-garde's riposte. Real culture is here to be found. First of all, we can begin by cultivating taste, rather than impoverishing it, by stimulating progress, by encouraging international exchange programs, by endorsing worthwhile projects, by advocating historical food culture and by defending old-fashioned food traditions."

About Carlo Petrini Carlo Petrini (Bra, June 22, 1949) is a gastronomist, journalist, Italian writer and above all, the founder of the Slow Food cultural movement. He studied sociology at the University of Trento and was actively involved in various political activities. Since 1977, Petrini took active interest in the fields of food and wine by writing in prominent Italian newspapers and magazines. He alsoparticipated widely in the birth of the Gambero Rosso pubication which was initially inserted monthly in Manifesto, a prominent Italian newspaper. He founded the Libera e Benemerita Associazione degli Amici del Barolo, which would later become the Arcigola in July 1986. This association maintained strong ties to Gambero Rosso and La Gola magazine. In the 1980s Petrini first came to prominence for taking part in a campaign against the fast food chain McDonald's which was scheduled to open near the Spanish Steps in . On December 9, 1989, the International Slow Food Movement was officially founded in Paris. Petrini coined the term "eco-gastronomy" to describe his vision of a better way to produce and distribute food that is sustainable and environmentally sound. He has also called his organization an example of "virtuous globalization" meaning it does have far reaching global implications, but they differ greatly from what he calls the "concept of

capitalist globalization." Although much of his language and writing appears to be communist or socialist in tone, his objections to the idea of large and powerful multinational capitalist conglomerates is not economic in nature. His objections are more grounded on what we are giving up in the way of individual and sensual enjoyment by living life on such a large scale and forgetting the joys, and indeed, the tastes of our youth. In October 2004 he founded the first University of Gastronomic Sciences. He is also the author of multiple publications and an editor at the publishing house Slow Food Editore. Carlo Petrini was also the creator of many internationally renowned events such as Cheese, Il Salone del Gusto and the recent event Terra Madre, which was added to the fourth edition in 2010 and will take place in Turin alongside Il Salone del Gusto. He won several awards: in 2000 won the Communicator of the Year Trophy Prize (from the International Wine and Spirit Competition); in 2002 the Sicco Mansholt Prize, from the homonymous Dutch foundation, for the activities undertaken by Slow Food in support and defense of a new model of sustainable agriculture; in 2004 Time Magazine posts him among the "heroes of our time" in the category 'Innovator'; in 2010 the National Award Cultura della Pace (Peace Culture Award).

Eva Zanardi Head of Communications Italian Cultural Institute New York 686 Park Avenue New York, NY 10065 Tel. 212 879-4242 ext.333 Fax 212 861-4018 [email protected] www.iicnewyork.esteri.it

The Italian Cultural Institute of New York

Founded in 1961, the Italian Cultural Institute of New York is an office of the Italian government, dedicated to the promotion of Italian language and culture in the United States through the organization of cultural events. Under the guidance of its trustees at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its advisory board, and its staff, the Italian Institute of Culture of New York conforms to this commitment by fostering the cultural exchange between and the US in a variety of areas, from the arts to the humanities to science. Central to the Italian Cultural Institute's mission is a constant effort to encourage the understanding and enjoyment of Italian culture by organizing and promoting cultural events in collaboration with the most prominent academic and cultural institutions of the East Coast. The Italian Cultural Institute of New York focuses on the development of initiatives aimed at showcasing Italian excellence in various fields, such as science, technology, the arts and design. The development of academic exchanges, the organization and support of visual arts exhibitions, the grants for translation and publication of Italian books, the promotion of Italian studies, and the cooperation with local

institutions in planning various events that focus on Italian music, dance, cinema, theater, architecture, literature, philosophy etc., are just a few examples of the Institute's initiatives. In conclusion, the Italian Cultural Institute of New York provides an "open window" on the cultural and social aspects of past and current Italy.

Slow Food

Slow Food is a global grassroots organization that envisions a world in which all people can access and enjoy food that is good for them, good for those who grow it and good for the planet. A non-profit member-supported association, Slow Food was founded in 1989 to counter the rise of fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and to encourage people to be aware about the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. Slow Food believes that everyone has a fundamental right to the pleasure of good food and consequently the responsibility to protect the heritage of food, tradition and culture that make this pleasure possible. Good, clean and fair. Slow Food believes that the food we eat should taste good and be healthy; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work. Our Mission. Slow Food works to defend biodiversity and to promote a sustainable and environmentally friendly food production and consumption system; to spread sensory education and responsible consumption; and to connect producers of quality foods with co-producers (consumers) through events and initiatives. Slow Food is committed to protecting traditional and sustainable quality foods, defending the biodiversity of cultivated and wild varieties as well as methods of cultivation and production that are disappearing due to the prevalence of processed food and industrial agribusiness. Through the Ark of Taste and Presidia projects (supported by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity) and the Terra Madre network, Slow Food seeks to protect our invaluable food heritage. Projects such as these as well as the Thousand Gardens in Africa are particularly important in countries of the Global South where defending biodiversity not only means improving the quality of life but actually saving lives, communities and cultures. By reawakening our senses and understanding where our food comes from, how it was produced and by whom, adults and children can learn to appreciate the cultural and social importance of food. Our education projects differ from most food education as they take into consideration all the different dimensions of food, such as culture and conviviality. Convivium activities introduce local foods and producers to both members and non-members, while Taste Workshops offer guided tastings with food experts. School initiatives like school gardens led by Slow Food members offer young eaters hands-on learning experiences as they grow their own food. Slow Food created the University of Gastronomic Sciences (UNISG) to offer a multidisciplinary academic programme in the science and culture of food. The Terra Madre network of food communities was launched by Slow Food in 2004 to give a voice and visibility to the small-scale farmers, breeders, fishers and food artisans around the world whose approach to food production protects the environment and communities. The network brings them together with academics, cooks, consumers and youth groups so that they can join forces in working to improve the food system. Food communities come together every two years at the global meeting held in Turin, whilst national and regional meetings are regularly organized around the world.

The University of Gastronomic Sciences

The University of Gastronomic Sciences, born and promoted in 2004 by the International Slow Food association in collaboration with the Piedmont and Emilia Romagna regional authorities is a private university legally recognized by the Italian state. Situated in Pollenzo near Bra, in the province of , it offers three study programs: a three-year undergraduate degree in Gastronomic Sciences, a two-year graduate degree in the Promotion and Management of the gastronomic heritage and tourism, and a one-year Master in Food Culture and

Communication comprising three specialization courses-Human Ecology and Sustainability; Food, Place and Identity; Media, Representation and High-Quality Food-all taught in English only. At the end of 2011, 1,009 students had studied at the University of Gastronomic Sciences since its inception with a substantial balance between Italian and foreign (52% against 48%). The students have come from 60 different countries and combined to form a sort of UNO in miniature that has completely changed the face of the town of Bra. The fact that people set out especially from countries like India, the United States, Mauritania and Brazil to come here make the small outlying village of Pollenzo an exception on the local and national university scene. All over the world, the relationships between food and society, food and the economy, food and culture and the undeniable one between food and politics are assuming huge importance and are attracting a great deal of interest. Continued pressure on the natural environment and its effects make qualified skills vital in food systems. From production to processing, from distribution to consumption, the choices we make have a huge impact on the community. The University's purpose is thus to endow foodwith academic dignityas a complex, multidisciplinary phenomenon through the study of a renewed food culture. The new job title that emerges from its study programs is that of the gastronome, a person equipped with knowledge and skills in the agricultural and food sector, capable of working in the fields of the market economy and communication, driving food production and consumption towards proper, useful choices and helping to create a sustainable future for the planet. One fundamental feature of Pollenzo is the emphasis it places on the right to study, with the University allocating about 600,000 euros every year to allow motivated, deserving students to attend its courses. In the eight years since the University was founded, exemptions from the payment of fees have thus totaled 4,900,000 euros. Over 140 students, 22% of total enrolments on our degree courses, have benefited from the scheme. The unique training experience offered by the UNISG, creates a well-knit, variegated student community and a preferential channel with employers in the Italian and international agricultural and food world. Classroom study is rounded off by a busy schedule of study trips in Italy and round the world. Since 2004, 585 trips have been organized and 130 have been planned for the 2011-12 academic year alone. During trips students perform important documentation work, recording video interviews with and collecting the testimonies of repositories of rural and gastronomic knowledge in the areas visited. They thus make a contribution to the "Granaries of Memory", a UNISG research project designed to build a databank of farming and artisan knowledge from all over the world.

For more information please visit: [email protected]