Carlo Petrini

Carlo Petrini (born 22 June 1949), born in the province of Cuneo in the commune of Bra in Italy, is the founder of the International Slow Food Movement. He first came to prominence in the 1980s for taking part in a campaign against the fast food chain McDonald's opening near the Spanish Steps in Rome. In 1983, he helped to create and develop the Italian non-profit food and wine association known as Arcigola. Petrini was formerly a political activist in the communist movement Partito di Unità Proletaria. In 1977, Petrini began contributing culinary articles to communist daily newspapers il manifesto and l'Unità. He is an editor of multiple publications at the publishing house Slow Food Editore. He has written weekly columns for La Stampa and is currently a regular journalist on La Repubblica. In October 2004, he founded the University of Gastronomic Sciences, a university devoted to new gastronomists and innovators of sustainable food systems. He was chosen as one of Time magazine's heroes of the year. He is now a supporter and member of the Italian Democratic Party (center-left wing). Petrini was proposed for politician roles (as Minister). Carlo Petrini received some awards and rewards including: Communicator of the Year at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London; Sicco Mansholt Price in the Netherlands; honorary degree in cultural anthropology from the University of New Hampshire; Eckart Witzigmann Science and Media Prize from Germany. __NOTOC__