Slow Food First Coast

     Today I am happy to write about an event going on where I currently live in Jacksonville, Fla.  It beautifully represents the sustainability and ethics aspects of CSR.  It's called Tour de Farm, and is part of the Slow Food First Coast movement.

 

 

     Slow Food is an international movement that began in Italy in 1986.  A group of activists wanted to return to the focus of enjoying good food made at a slow, intentional pace instead of the fast, processed direction food had moved toward over the previous decades. 

 

     The three guiding principles of the movement are good, clean and fair.  Food should be good for you and taste good naturally.  It should be produced in a way that minimizes harm to the environment.  Producers should be paid fair wages, and prices should also make the food accessible to consumers.  Sustainability and health for people and the environment are natural consequences of these principles. 

 

The photo shown at left was taken today at GYO Greens, one of the participating farms in the Tour de Farm. It demonstrates aquaponics, one of the sustainable farming practices of the slow food movement. That and the similar hydroponics are examples of permaculture, one of the leading production concepts in the slow food movement.  Permaculture means minimal space and resources (e.g. water) are used to grow food, and those resources can be reused not only at no additional cost to the environment, but also give back to the environment.


Supporting farms like this and principles of the slow food movement provides a host of benefits to growers, consumers and the planet.  Abiding by these principles helps to heal the planet of the burden humans have put on its natural resources, supports our essential farmers, and gives all of us tastier, healthier food!  Cheers!