The rise of fast food chains and artificial preservatives has prompted the creation of the slow food movement, which advocates for the preservation and promotion of local food cultures and systems, and sustainable local food production.
In contrast to fast food, which uses widely available goods and quick cooking methods, slow food aims to preserve the authenticity of cooking and make use of local ingredients.
Today, slow food has progressively become a global phenomenon with over a million eco-conscious food activists sharing the same passion for making food systems more sustainable. The LaSallian discusses the emerging popularity of slow food in the Philippines and the ins and outs of this alternative food system with some of the members of the movement, John Sherwin Felix, founder of Lokalpedia—an archive of local, indigenous ingredients and food items in the Philippines—and Ramon Uy Jr., the Slow Food International Councilor for Asia.
Good, clean, fair
The slow food movement is governed by three interconnected tenets: good, clean, and fair. It advances good food which fosters health and community, clean production methods that avoid damage to the environment, and fair prices and conditions for producers and consumers alike.
Two-way communication is imperative in slow food networks. “Everybody’s involved, not just the producers of food; we believe consumers are actually co-producers,” Uy discloses. Waves of interest in certain food products steadily widen the range of job opportunities for producers and food choices for co-producers. “Kung ano ‘yung ilalagay mo sa table, ‘yan ‘yung itatanim ng mga farmers; ‘Yun ‘yung huhulihin ng mga fisherfolk,” Felix explains.
(What you put on your table will eventually become what farmers will plant and fisherfolk will catch.)
Beyond remaining devout to their philosophy, Uy shares that the movement actively widens its breadth by instituting initiatives, ranging from community-wide activities to worldwide projects. One of these projects is Earth Markets, which is similar to farmers’ markets and organized by local slow food communities, where local and seasonal food products are sold by producers at a fair price.
Slow Food Travel is also one of these initiatives. A project headed by Slow Food, it is a unique form of nationwide tourism that aims to bring travelers closer to sources of food production and appoint farmers and chefs as the local storytellers of their own food and culture. Based on the biblical Noah’s Ark, the worldwide project Ark of Taste catalogs endangered heritage ingredients that are sustainably produced, unique in taste, and are part of distinct ecoregions.
Taking it slow
Slow food may be a term unknown to many, but it targets current societal facets and issues on the country’s cultures and traditions. It helps in the preservation of the Philippines’ culinary heritage by giving artisan producers and farmers, who provide the food people put on the table, an avenue. Uy explains, “Slow food provides [the farmers and producers] a platform where they can showcase what [we] have and how rich and how diverse [our] country is.”
Felix expresses that the movement aims to document and promote traditional dishes and ingredients by promoting the local traditions of each region. “You don’t only support the food, you support the culture that surrounds it,” he opines.
Slow food similarly advocates for ethical and sustainable food production and consumption and promotes organic farming, food biodiversity, and fair trade. By supporting small-scale farmers and traditional food producers, Felix claims that “You challenge the globalized profit-oriented corporations who homogenize the food culture.” According to him, doing so encourages consumers to prioritize quality over mass-produced products.
Above all, slow food highlights patronizing local food items that come from the country’s own resources. Food’s close relationship with its environment makes it an avenue to shed light on important environmental issues, such as climate change. Felix declares, “Our food came from the environment…so hindi lang dapat nakakahon sa usaping pagkain ang ating diskusyon. Palawakin pa natin about sa kalikasan.”
(We should not just box the discussion about food. We should broaden it and talk about the environment as well.)
Participating in the slow food movement may be done through small actions such as substituting inorganic products and preservatives with local Filipino ingredients, for instance, using real sampaloc instead of a sampaloc mix. One can also try planting seeds and growing their own food produce in their backyards and gardens. Becoming conscious about the food one eats may be an adjustment, but it is not impossible to do; it starts small, it takes time, and as its name suggests, one can transition to the movement slowly, but surely.
A step back
For all its pertinent dimensions, thorough adherence to the slow food movement is an entirely different story; among a myriad of factors to consider, the socioeconomic condition of the Philippines is the most important one. Both urban and rural poor are enclosed within dimensions of poverty that render them vulnerable in the face of hazards bridging different sectors of society. These grounds span socioeconomic contexts—one in particular points to the interminable reign of conventional food systems that are fraught with skewed labor rights and inhumane working conditions. A fissure of this scale divulges citizens’ principal reason for being unable to opt out of callous systems—privilege is the issue, not negligence.
Moreover, in our cognizance of food heritage and diversity, awareness drives action. The saturation of imported food products in our local markets unfortunately eclipses our local produce. Hence, support from the government, namely policies, infrastructure, and ample research, must be instituted at different levels of production to make lasting changes to the food system. A resilient foodscape is imperative to liberating Filipinos from food systems that perpetuate the status quo.
Combating antiquated systems that exacerbate unfair work conditions, environmental degradation, and expropriation of resources necessitates careful but unfaltering steps. A food system structure built upon the tenets of good, clean, and fair is critical to our country’s step toward healthier food networks. However, it is essential to improve the damaging ridges of the conventional food system enveloping our country’s production procedures to ensure that eventually, citizens will someday be able to make autonomous decisions on their food consumption.
