Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini dies aged 76, leaving global food legacy

Rome— Carlo Petrini, the founder of the Slow Food movement and one of Italy’s most influential voices on sustainable food and agriculture, has died at the age of 76.

Petrini passed away on Friday in his hometown of Bra, Piedmont, prompting tributes from across Italy and the international food community to a man whose vision transformed a local cultural protest into a worldwide movement advocating food that is “good, clean and fair”.

A gastronome, journalist and author, Petrini founded Arcigola in 1986, an organisation that later evolved into Slow Food Italy. What began as a grassroots campaign against fast food culture rapidly developed into an international network now active in more than 160 countries.

The movement gained global prominence in 1989 when the Slow Food Manifesto was signed in Paris by delegations from around the world, with Petrini elected president, a position he held until 2022.

Born in Bra in 1949, Petrini devoted his life to promoting sustainable agriculture, protecting biodiversity and defending local food traditions. He argued that food should not be viewed merely as nourishment but as a matter of environmental stewardship, cultural identity and social justice.

His philosophy shaped Slow Food into more than an organisation, becoming instead a broad social movement connecting farmers, producers, chefs, academics and activists.

Among Petrini’s most significant achievements was the creation of Terra Madre, first organised in 2004, which brought together food communities from around the world and gave voice to those often marginalised within global food systems.

He also founded the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, regarded as the first institution dedicated to an interdisciplinary study of food. Since its establishment, the university has trained thousands of students from across the globe and helped establish gastronomic sciences as an academic discipline.

Petrini’s influence extended well beyond Italy. He lectured at leading universities, participated in international debates on agriculture and sustainability, and engaged with institutions including the European Union, the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organisation.

His work received widespread recognition. In 2013 he was named co winner of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Champion of the Earth award, and in 2016 he became FAO Special Ambassador for Zero Hunger in Europe.

A prolific writer, Petrini published numerous books exploring food, ecology and society, helping bring Slow Food’s principles to an international readership. His writings linked food to broader concerns including inequality, climate change and cultural preservation.

He also remained closely involved in public debate through contributions to Italian newspapers, where he wrote on sustainability, gastronomy and the environment.

In recent years Petrini increasingly emphasised the need for generational renewal within the movement he founded. At Slow Food’s International Congress in 2022, he backed a leadership transition that saw Uganda born farmer and activist Edward Mukiibi elected president.

Petrini nevertheless remained active as a member of Slow Food’s board and as president of the University of Gastronomic Sciences.

Slow Food paid tribute to its founder, describing him as a visionary leader whose commitment to people, nature and collective action inspired generations.

Petrini often repeated the phrase, “Those who sow utopia reap reality,” a sentiment supporters say captured both his optimism and his belief that social change could be achieved through shared purpose and determination.

He leaves behind a legacy that reshaped global conversations about food, sustainability and humanity’s relationship with the natural world.

PS