Carlo Petrini, the Italian journalist and writer who founded the Slow Food movement, dies at 76 in Italy. Several outlets report he dies in his home town of Bra, in the Piedmont region. Petrini launched Slow Food in 1986, initially as a protest against the arrival of fast-food culture in Italy, including the opening of the first McDonald’s. The movement promotes sustainable food production and traditional, locally rooted cooking, positioning itself against fast-food habits and mass industrial farming.
Sources also describe Petrini as a long-time advocate for “clean eating” and more thoughtful approaches to how food is produced and prepared. The Guardian adds that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in recent years and that he led Slow Food until 2022, when he stepped down as president. Italian officials, including the president, are reported to have issued tributes. International coverage notes that Slow Food spread beyond Italy and helped influence global discussions about sustainability and cuisine. All accounts broadly agree on his central role in founding Slow Food and on his campaign against fast-food culture.
