The global sustainable food movement has lost one of its most influential pioneers. Carlo Petrini, the founder of Slow Food, who dedicated 40 years to advancing eco-friendly food production and protecting centuries-old culinary traditions, passed away at the age of 76 on Thursday in Bra, his hometown in Italy’s northwestern Piedmont region. The Slow Food organization confirmed his death in an official statement, with local media reports noting he had battled cancer in recent years.
Petrini’s journey into global food activism began in 1986, when a then-journalist joined widespread public protests opposing the opening of Italy’s first McDonald’s location in Rome’s iconic Piazza di Spagna. In the wake of those demonstrations, Petrini gathered a small group of like-minded friends in the Italian countryside to launch a grassroots movement initially named Arcigola. What started as a local pushback against the rise of standardized fast food quickly grew into a national phenomenon, and by 1989, more than 20 international delegates gathered to sign the official Slow Food Manifesto. The document laid out the movement’s core mission: to push back against the “tediousness of fast-food” and safeguard cultural food heritage around the world.
Under Petrini’s decades-long leadership as president, the movement expanded far beyond Italy’s borders, establishing a presence in more than 160 countries. Slow Food’s core principles — a commitment to food that is “good, clean, and fair for all” — have reshaped global conversations around food systems, emphasizing quality ingredients, environmental stewardship, and equitable working conditions for small-scale farmers and food producers. Petrini’s work united a diverse global network: from rural farming communities and traditional food artisans to professional chefs, grassroots activists, and young people passionate about food justice.
Throughout his campaigning career, Petrini built close connections with major global figures who shared his commitment to sustainability. He developed a lasting friendship with King Charles III, rooted in their shared dedication to promoting fresh, ecologically responsible food production. The pair were even photographed together during a 2017 visit to Florence’s Sant’Ambrogio Market, when Charles was still the Prince of Wales. Petrini also formed a bond with the late Pope Francis, who surprised the activist with a personal phone call in 2013 after Petrini sent the pontiff a copy of one of his books alongside a letter. Reflecting on the call to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Petrini noted, “Our phone conversation ended, with wishes of good health and a mutual embrace. A world in which one can fraternally embrace a Pope is truly a beautiful world.”
In tributes following his death, leaders and the Slow Food organization itself have honored Petrini’s far-reaching legacy. The movement released a statement calling Petrini a visionary who “brought to life a global movement rooted in the values of good, clean, and fair food for all.” It added that his work successfully connected diverse groups of food stakeholders across every continent. Italian President Sergio Mattarella echoed those remarks, saying Petrini’s death leaves a “huge void not only in the world of food and wine science, but also in society as a whole, and not just in Italy.”