A local Slow Food chapter is called a convivium; it is an assemblage of

members who live near one another and who act in support of the mission

statement and guiding values of Slow Food USA. Members of a convivium get

together or put on events several times a year, such as a tasting or dinner

at which local products, and perhaps those from elsewhere for comparison and contrast, are tasted and discussed, led by the producer or someone else

familiar with the product. Convivia engage in community outreach activities

and are always on the lookout for endangered foods or small-scale producers

that they may be able to help.





Slow Food Mission



Through its understanding of gastronomy with relation to politics,

agriculture and the environment Slow Food has become an active player in

agriculture and ecology. Slow Food links pleasure and food with awareness

and responsibility. The association's activities seek to defend biodiversity

in our food supply, spread the education of taste, and link producers of

excellent foods to consumers through events and initiatives.



Defense of Biodiversity



Slow Food believes the enjoyment of excellent foods and wines should be

combined with efforts to save the countless traditional cheeses, grains,

vegetables, fruits, and animal breeds that are disappearing due to the

prevalence of convenience food and agribusiness. Through the Ark of Taste

and Presidia projects (supported by the Slow Food Foundation for

Biodiversity), the Slow Food Award for Biodiversity and Terra Madre, Slow

Food seeks to protect our invaluable food heritage.



Taste Education



In a world where the pleasures of taste are not always learned through

leisurely meals around a lively table, we must make a conscious effort to

explore, question and experiment. This is the aim of Slow Food's taste

education initiatives. Convivia activities introduce new foods to members

while Taste Workshops offer guided tastings with food experts. Our youngest

eaters benefit from Slow Food in Schools and true gastronomes are trained at

the University of Gastronomic Sciences.



Linking Producers and Consumers



Slow Food organizes fairs, events and farmers' markets to showcase products of excellent gastronomic quality. The huge success of the international food festival Salone del Gusto, with its cornucopia of foods to be tasted and bought, supports producers while offering up a world of delights to the public. Other events include Urban Harvest, Cheese, Slow Fish, Deutscher

Käsemarkt and Aux Origines du Goût.