Slow Food Switzerland

- Since the 1980s, Slow Food has become an international organisation of 80,000 members in 90 countries who not only care about enjoying and retaining our diverse heritage of regional food and drink, and protecting it from globalisation, but are increasingly aware of the associated environmental issues.

- The local branch, or Convivium is the grassroots heart of Slow Food. It organises a variety of events such as tastings, dinners with a particular theme, and visits to places of food and drink interest. Education is an important purpose for a convivium - whether it be organising initiatives in schools, such as the school gardens project, or educating people about real food with taste! The convivium collects information about regional food and drink, whether it be good shops or restaurants, or food and drink products under threat - and passes on this information to Slow Food members worldwide.

- Slow Food continues to develop taste education programmes for children and adults, including the new University of Gastronomic Sciences, established in Italy in 2003. It also campaigns to sustain quality agriculture and to maintain the biodiversity of our food supply. It does not restrict itself to the developed nations and is active in promoting projects to sustain food production in the world's poorer countries.

"source of information from www.slowfood.org.uk"