Carlo Petrini at Fort Mason, May 10

In his book Slow Food Nation, Italian-born Carlo Petrini — the founder and driving force behind the Slow Food movement — offers models for reforming the way food is grown, prepared, and eaten. On May 10, the Museo ItaloAmericano hosts the charismatic Petrini for a talk at Fort Mason Center's Cowell Theater. After an initial book signing, he will describe his organization's efforts to improve the world's food supply — one bite at a time.

Slow Food International, with more than 80,000 members in 100 countries, is a non-profit, “eco-gastronomic” organization that Petrini started in Italy in 1986 in response to the opening of a McDonald’s restaurant in Rome. The movement works to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of traditional local food, and people’s dwindling interest in what they eat and how food choices affect the global environment and economy. “Slow Food’s straightforward message is hard to argue with,” writes The Washington Post. “Foods and food preservation that have given culinary pleasure for decades (or much longer) should be treasured and preserved.”

Petrini was elected president of Slow Food International at its inception and every year since. He was recently proclaimed a “great innovator” in Time’s list of “European Heroes” and is currently a professor of sociology at the Università di Trento. In 2004, he initiated a biennial conference called Terra Madre where 5,000 small-scale farmers, cooks, and food experts gather to share knowledge and build connections. Every year, students from around the globe matriculate at the University of Gastronomic Sciences, which Petrini also founded in 2004.

This guy is like the Pope of the food world. I'm going to Fort Mason to kiss his ring on May 10th. LF readers, if you go, look for me and introduce yourself!