Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Liz Waid.

 

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　　And I'm Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.

 

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　　What is your favorite food? Is it something that you make at home? Is it something that you buy at a restaurant? Does it take a long time to make or is it fast food? Today's Spotlight is on a group of people asking questions like these. They are part of the Slow Food Movement.

 

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　　The slow food movement started in 1986. In the city of Rome, Italy, a new restaurant was opening. But some people were not happy about it. The restaurant was a McDonalds. This American restaurant is famous for fast food – American style food served quickly, for very little money. It was opening in Piazza di Spagna, close to the world famous Spanish Steps. It is one of the many important historical places in the city. Many people would recognize this square, with the large and beautiful fountain in the middle. And some people did not want a McDonalds restaurant in such a beautiful historic place. People stood outside the McDonalds and shouted "We do not want fast food, we want slow food!"

 

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　　But this event was not the only thing that started the Slow Food Movement. Carlo Petrini was in that crowd at the Spanish Steps. He lives in Italy. One day he went to a restaurant to eat a traditional meal called peperonata. But when he ate the food this time it did not have the same taste he remembered. He asked the owner of the restaurant why the food tasted different. The owner said that it was the pepper vegetables he used. These peppers were grown in the Netherlands. They were grown using modern scientific methods. The peppers were shipped in boxes to Italy. The prices were low. So many local farmers in Italy stopped growing the peppers. They could not compete with the price of the peppers from the Netherlands. But these peppers from the Netherlands did not have the same good taste as local peppers.

 

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　　Carlo believed that this way of getting food was damaging local culture and food. Italian farmers no longer grew Italian peppers for Italian food. And this was a change happening in many other places too!

 

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　　Carlo wanted people to care about where their food came from. He wanted people to care about foods that made their culture special. These were "slow foods" - the opposite of fast food! So Carlo started a group to encourage this idea. It became the Slow Food movement.

 

　　The Slow Food movement says that their goal is to have Good, Clean, Fair food for all people. Let's look at these three things.

 

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　　First, what is Good food? The Slow Food Movement believes good food is fresh. The vegetables are eaten close to the place that grew them. The fish has not been sitting for days before it is eaten. It should be in season - grown at the best time of the year for that food. Good food satisfies the senses. It should look good, smell good and taste good. And finally, good food is part of a local culture. Each country has special foods that make it different. Good food is cultural food!

 

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　　Second, food should be Clean. Today, there are great concerns about the way people grow and produce food. For example, by using large amounts of chemicals on fruits and vegetables. Farmers use these chemicals to kill insects, and feed plants. But the chemicals can also harm the natural environment around farms. Over time, they can cause health problems in people too. Clean food means food that does not harm our bodies or the environment.

 

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　　And third, food should be Fair. Food should not cost too much money. All people should be able to buy healthy food. The people who grow and make food should be paid fairly for their work. They should work in safe, healthy conditions.

 

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　　The idea of Slow Food may sound easy in places like Italy. Italy has a history of strongly caring about their traditional foods and culture. But the Slow Food Movement has expanded out of Italy. Around the world, groups hold special events in November and December to celebrate their own local Slow Food culture.

 

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　　Elburgon Kenya is located in the Mau forest. The people in this area depend on the forest for their food. They hunt and gather wild fruits and plants. They pass down hunting traditions from generation to generation. Many different kinds of foods were on the tables: Mushunu chicken, Lare pumpkin, wild fruits and honey, and deer meat. The people celebrated their cultural food. But they also learned about the importance of the forests.

 

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　　This was especially important because large farm businesses are cutting down the Mau forest. Then, they grow wheat, corn and tea on the land. This damages traditional life for these communities. Their culture, food, and lives depend on healthy forests. So during the Slow Food celebration, people also planted native trees in the area.

 

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　　In Thailand, the Karen people group held their own event. November is their traditional time to harvest rice. The Karen used to be a nomadic tribe. They moved to a new place every year. In each place, they grew rice. After the harvest, they would burn the rice plants. Then, they would move to a new area. They would not return for seven years, so that the land could rest.

 

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　　But in 1968 the government said that the Karen people could not continue to move from place to place. They could still farm, but they could not use their traditional methods. So ten Karen families used their Slow Food Day to discuss these issues and prepare traditional foods. Older Karen group members shared some of the traditions and stories with younger people at the event.

 

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　　In Palestine, many people do not eat foods grown on local farms. It is easier to get imported foods, and these foods cost less money. Many traditional Palestinian foods are at risk of being forgotten. In Palestine, women's groups held two events, called "Back to Old Kitchens in the Gaza Strip" and "Back to Old Kitchens in the West Bank."

 

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　　In the Gaza strip women prepared a meal using ancient recipes. They used vegetables grown in local gardens. These gardens help the women save money on food. In the West Bank, the event brought older women to teach younger women how to cook traditional foods. These events brought people closer together and helped them celebrate their culture through food.

 

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　　The Slow Food movement wants people to think about food as more than just something to put in your mouth. Food is a part of culture. Food is a part of health. Food is a part of social justice. Food is a part of the environment. What does food mean to you? Are there any ways that you celebrate Slow Food? Share your ideas on our website at http://www.radio.english.net

 

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　　The writer and producer of this program was Joshua Leo. The voices you heard were from the United States. This program is called "Slow Food".

 

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　　We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!