Take the time to learn about the food you eat and strengthen your sense of connection to the world.

Bombarded – I feel bombarded with information about the “slow food” movement. Tree-hugging types love it; they keep hosting conferences about it, they talk about how good it is for you and how it’s going to save our planet. (Frankly, what isn’t going to “save our planet” these days?)

But for those living the insanity of urbanity, who really has time to slow down? Cost of living is increasing, jobs are scarce, and if you’re lucky enough to have a job, you’re working harder than ever to keep it. We come home to our barely affordable house and fall over with exhaustion only to start the cycle tomorrow. I’m tired of being tired; time to investigate this “slow” movement more seriously.

Along with the arts, the economy, politics, and culture, food is one of the foundations of not only our culture but of our existence. The slow food movement, which began in 1989 and now boasts more than 85,000 members internationally, is dedicated to re-connecting us to our food. In our increasingly individualistic culture, we need to rekindle our relationships with our friends and family, and slow food advocates believe the dinner table is one of the best meeting places to do so.

Rebecca LeHeup, the Convivium Leader of Slow Food Prince Edward County, says: “Everybody has to eat three meals a day. It’s interesting to us because food is another flavour in our trip; when you can find something as invaluable as food that connects to or tells a story, it makes the experience more valuable.”

But what about the people who produce food, who distribute and nurture it? Understanding how they create goods in a “sustainable” and unprocessed manner deepens our appreciation for what we eat. This is a very serious and difficult business. Mass-produced foods are built on efficiency and maximum profit margins achieved by growing and raising the same thing in the same place to leverage the infrastructure. Slow food promotes biodiversity: many foods are nurtured and nourished in a manner that improves their well-being over time by rotating crops and feeding animals real food, without chemicals. It’s about connection and feeling responsible; for ourselves, our food, and our world.

Sustainability is another slow-food commandment. The availability and quality of water, the maintenance of soil fertility, proper waste management, and fair wages sustain our food production. The bottom line is critical, but the fact that mass production is cheaper today does not secure its cost-effectiveness (or even its survival) in the future. With our expanding global population responsible choices become even more important and increasingly unachievable. As affluent populations grow the desire for a meat-heavy diet increases, despite the fact that it takes three to five times the amount of resources to produce one food calorie of meat compared to grains, cereals, and produce. Perhaps the vegans and wheatgrass advocates are onto something.

“Slow food is mostly important because people care about where their food is coming from,” LeHeup says. “They can see the fragile state of the food industry, and they want to know where the food is coming from, how it is produced, and when it really comes down to it, it’s really about choice. The consumer wants to have more choice and more education. The number one thing that brings us together is food. In our passion for food, we also build community.”