Quality according to Slow Food

There is only one way to express quality: telling its story.

Slow Food has identified three elements to reference to build the concept of food quality:

• Good
Flavor and aroma, which trained senses can recognize, result from the expertise of the producer, of the choice of raw materials and production methods that do not alter the natural state of the product. “Good” in terms of organoleptic quality, of pleasure, of taste understood in cultural terms. Because “good” is relative (that which is good to me may not be good in Africa and vice versa).

• Clean
The environment must be respected through agricultural practices, animal husbandry, processing, marketing and sustainable consumption. Every stage in the agro-food chain – including consumption – must protect ecosystems and biodiversity, protecting the health of the consumer and the producer. “Clean” is the sustainability and durability of all of the processes related to food, from planting with respect for biodiversity to cultivation, the story, from processing to transpor- tation, from distribution to consumption, without waste and through conscious choices.

• Fair
Social justice should be pursued by creating work conditions that respect human beings and their rights and that generate adequate compensation; through seeking balanced global economies; through practicing solidarity; through respecting cultural diversity and traditions. “Fair” means without exploitation, direct or indirect, of those who work in the fields, sufficient and rewarding compensation, but at the same time comparable fair pricing for those who buy and value equity, solidarity, giving and sharing.