Slow Food Movement
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WP 4 | CASE STUDY Report: SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT Theme [ssh.2013.3.2-1] [Social Innovation- Empowering People, changing societies] Project Full Title: “Transformative Social Innovation Theory project” Grant Agreement n. 613169 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no 613169 1 Transit – Grant agreement n. 613169 – [Slow Food Movement] Case Study Report: Slow Food Movement. Suggested citation: Dumitru, A., Lema-Blanco, I., Kunze, I. & García-Mira, R. (2016). Slow Food Movement. Case- study report. TRANSIT: EU SSH.2013.3.2-1 Grant agreement no: 613169. Acknowledgements: We would like to thank the collaboration of all the interviewees for their openness and availability. We are especially grateful to Alberto López de Izpiña, from Slow Food Araba-Vitoria for helping us in the establishment of the interviews with Slow Food members and organizing the visit to the local case-study; and to Valentina Bassanese, from Slow Food International for their collaboration and support in establishing contacts with the external spokespersons and American Slow Food organizations. For the local case study on Slow Food Freiburg, we want to thank the members of this initiative who were remarkable cooperative during the interviews and participant observations. Additional, we want to acknowledge Elke Fein for her valuable comments and suggestions. Date: 15, March, 2016 Researchers: People-Environment Research Group (UDC): Adina Dumitru, Isabel Lema-Blanco, Ricardo García-Mira Center for Global Change & Sustainability, BOKU: Iris Kunze Lead partner: People-Environment Research-Group (UDC, Spain) Participating partners: Iris Kunze (BOKU) [email protected] Contact person: Adina Dumitru. People-Environment Research Group. University of A Coruña. Spain. Email: [email protected] Disclaimer: “The content of this publication does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Responsibility for the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the author(s).” Table of contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 4 1. Literature review ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 2. Overview, case demarcation and structure of the report ............................................................................ 6 2 Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 9 2.1 Researcher relations to the case ...................................................................................................................... 9 2.2 Methods ................................................................................................................................................................ 10 3. Transnational network: SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT ................................................................... 15 3.1. Emergence of Slow Food International Association ............................................................................... 15 3.2. TSI dynamics ........................................................................................................................................................ 23 3.3. Agency in (T)SI ..................................................................................................................................................... 31 3.4. Summary, synthesis, conclusion.......................................................................................................................... 44 4. Local Initiative #1: CONVIVIUM SLOW FOOD ARABA-VITORIA .................................................. 47 4.1. Emergence of Slow Food Araba-Vitoria ...................................................................................................... 47 4.2. TSI dynamics ........................................................................................................................................................ 52 4.3. Agency in (T)SI ..................................................................................................................................................... 57 4.4. Summary, synthesis, conclusion ................................................................................................................... 64 5. Local Initiative #2: CONVIVIUM SLOW FOOD FREIBURG ........................................................... 67 5.1. Emergence of Social innovation in SF Freiburg ................................................................................... 68 5.2. TSI dynamics in SF Freiburg ........................................................................................................................ 74 5.3. Agency in SF Freiburg .................................................................................................................................... 77 5.4. Summary, synthesis, conclusion of SF Freiburg .................................................................................. 85 6. Synthesis ................................................................................................................................ 87 6.1. Emergence of Social innovation (SI). ....................................................................................................... 87 6.2. TSI dynamics ...................................................................................................................................................... 93 6.3. Agency in (T)SI .................................................................................................................................................. 95 7. References ............................................................................................................................ 106 8. Annex ................................................................................................................................... 109 A. Bibliography .......................................................................................................................................................... 109 B. List of Interviewees ............................................................................................................................................ 110 C. List of meetings and events attended ......................................................................................................... 112 3 Transit – Grant agreement n. 613169 – [Slow Food Movement Report] 1. Introduction 1. Literature review The slow food movement has contributed in a significant way to discourses that propose new sustainable lifestyles and slow consumption as an alternative to the “hyperconsumption” practices associated with capitalism and globalized economic system (Hall, 2012). An extended scientific work has focused on the emergence of the slow food movement, its evolution, political and social impact in both global and local contexts (Andrews, 2008; Sassatelli & Davolio, 2010; Kjørstad, 2007; Siniscalchi, 2013; Hall, 2012). Founders and leaders of the slow food movement are also related to the academia (Vandana Shiva or Alice Walters are Slow Food activists that have also contributed with research and literature to the knowledge of the movement); the organization itself has published relevant documents to disseminate its activity and philosophy (see description of primary source review, pp 13). Carlo Petrini's best-sellers “Buono, pulito e giusto. Principi di nuova gastronomia” (2005), “Slow food revolution: A new culture for dining & living” (Petrini & Padovani, 2006) or the more recent “Slow food nation: Why our food should be good, clean, and fair” (Petrini et al, 2013), have contributed to the general knowledge of the food system complexity and the alternative “eco- gastronomy” paradigm that Slow Food proposes, which involves changing the current relations between consumers and producers in terms of “return to a sense of community” as Petrini explains: “With its historical, anthropological, agricultural, economic, social and philosophical aspects, the science of gastronomy asks us to open our minds to the complexity of food systems, to think again about our own approach to our daily bread. It asks us to give food back its central role in our lives and the political agendas of those who govern. This also means returning to a respect for the earth, the source of all sustenance. And it means a return to a sense of community that seems almost lost. We are always members of at least three communities at once: local, national and global. As global citizens, yes, we are destroying the planet – its equilibrium, its ecosystems and its biodiversity. As local citizens, though, we can make our own choices, choices that influence everyone's future. By producing, distributing, choosing and eating food of real quality we can save the world” (Petrini in Walters, 2006). The slow food movement has been defined as a “cultural movement” (Petrini, 2005) based on the intrinsic value of local production or a movement “against Americanization” (Sassateni & Devolio, 2010) that critiques globalized and delocalized food production systems (Roos et al,2007). Slow Food has been also described as a countermovement that “represents an act of rebellion against a civilisation