The Slow Food movement began more than 20 years ago with a protest against the opening of the first McDonald's in Rome. Today the campaign to elbow out fast food has grown into an international movement with adherents in more than 140 countries. Initiated by young Italian leftists who appreciated their country's regional cooking, the movement has focused on preserving endangered foods, promoting local cooking traditions and farming without polluting. Recently, its increasingly political rhetoric blames industrialized agriculture and the fast-food industry for environmental degradation and the loss of biodiversity as well as the waning of good, healthy eating. Amid growing concern about rising rates of childhood obesity in the West, some school systems have responded by switching to local, fresh ingredients. But critics say Slow Food's message is just for rich gourmets and doesn't appreciate modern agriculture's higher yields and lowered food costs.

Sarah Glazer specializes in health, education and social-policy issues. Her articles have appeared in The Washington Post, Glamour, The Public Interest and Gender and Work, a book of essays. Glazer covered energy legislation for the Environmental and Energy Study Conference and reported for United Press International. She holds a BA in American history from the University of Chicago.