Carlo Petrini
Italian activist (1949–2026)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carlo Petrini (22 June 1949 – 21 May 2026) was an Italian activist and author who was the founder of the International Slow Food Movement,[1] and Terra Madre festivals.
22 June 1949
Carlo Petrini | |
|---|---|
 Carlo Petrini at Identità Golose Conference 2010 | |
| Born | Carlo Petrini 22 June 1949 Bra, Italy |
| Died | 21 May 2026 (aged 76) Bra, Italy |
| Alma mater | University of Trento |
| Occupations | Writer, activist |
| Organization | Slow Food |
| Known for | Founder of the Slow Food movement |
| Awards | United Nations Environment Programme's Champions of the Earth award |
Early life and activist career
Petrini was born in the commune of Bra, province of Cuneo, Italy. He was formerly a political activist in the communist Proletarian Unity Party (Partito di Unità Proletaria; PdUP). In 1977, he began contributing culinary articles to the communist daily newspapers il manifesto and l'Unità.[2]
He studied sociology at the University of Trento where he got involved in local politics.[3] He began writing about food and wine for major Italian newspapers in 1977.[4]
Petrini continued his advocacy work in later years. In 2024, Petrini was a guest at the Italian Cultural Society's gala in Washington, D.C. In a speech at the Cheese 2025 event, he warned about the potential regulations on raw milk cheese production in Italy.[5]
Slow food movement
Petrini 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.[2] In 1983, he helped to create and develop the Italian non-profit food and wine association known as Arcigola.[6] He founded Slow Food in 1989 and became the organization's president.[1] He was an editor of multiple publications at the publishing house Slow Food Editore. He has written weekly columns for La Stampa and was a regular journalist to 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 a supporter and member of the Italian Democratic Party (centre-left wing). Petrini was also proposed for politician roles, including ministerial positions.
Death
Petrini died in Bra on 21 May 2026, at the age of 76.[7]
Awards
Petrini received numerous awards and acknowledgements including: Communicator of the Year at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London; Sicco Mansholt Prize in the Netherlands; honorary degree in cultural anthropology from the University of New Hampshire; and Eckart Witzigmann Science and Media Prize from Germany.[6] In 2004, he was chosen as one of Time magazine's heroes of the year.[8] He was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award (Champions of the Earth) in 2013.[9]