The Story That Planted Us Here
Slow Food International sprang to life in Rome, Italy in March 1986, when the opening of a fast food restaurant near the Spanish Steps sparks widespread national protest. This symbolic arrival of homogenization in a place so rich in history and culture convinced Carlo Petrini and the other founders of the movement that it was time to act, and so the Slow Food movement was born.
Together, the Slow Food chapters around the world are dismantling oppressive food systems to achieve good, clean and fair food for all.
Slow Food is a worldwide member-based organization with members in more than 150 countries. In the U.S., we have 175 local and campus chapters that coordinate local activities, projects and events. Slow Food USA unites the joy of food with the pursuit of justice throughout the United States. They cultivate nationwide programs and a network of local chapters, host educational events and advocacy campaigns, and build solidarity through partnerships.
Welcome to Slow Food Phoenix!
Our local chapter is rooted in the belief that good, clean, and fair food belongs to everyone in our community. As a member-supported nonprofit, we work across central Arizona to celebrate and preserve the rich, diverse food cultures of the Southwest — from Indigenous foodways and borderlands traditions to the farmers, artisans, and food makers shaping our local food future. We advocate for a food system that's equitable, sustainable, and deeply connected to the land and people it feeds.
When you join Slow Food Phoenix, your support helps us:
Educate our community on ways to champion local food culture, farmers, artisans, and markets
Advocate for biodiversity and meaningful, lasting relationships between eaters, growers, and the restaurants and purveyors who connect them
Gather to share our individual food cultures, stories, and perspectives around a common table
Advance Food Justice, Food Access, and Land Justice for the communities across our region — including Indigenous communities stewarding this land
Inspire others to join the global Slow Food movement right here in the Valley of the Sun