Um alimento político e uma política que alimenta: o ativismo do Slow Food no Brasil

Abstract

'Food activism' refers to a form of identity resistance that perceives food as potential to promote social change. The Slow Food social movement fits into this type of social struggle, questioning the logic of the current agrifood system. Originally from Italy, where it borns from the strong criticism on the fast food concept, it is currently present in 160 countries, based on the pillars of food biodiversity and taste education. In 2003, it establishes a cooperation agreement with the Brazilian government, aiming to develop projects targeted at family agriculture and working to support the production and marketing of local products, under principles of quality, sustainability and justice. However, the implementation of its projects in Brazilian territory has been marked by many obstacles, derived both from the political conjuncture and from the very form of organization and internal dynamization of the movement. In a context of privatization of political practices, the research seeks to understand the relationship and contribution of forms of food activism through social movements for the construction of public policies for food in the Brazilian socio-political context, having Slow Food as object of analysis. For that, we opted for an empirical research based on content analysis, participant observation in events and interviews to members of Slow Food Brazil. The results show that Slow Food presents in its essence an activist character with little claim, with proposals based on alternatives to the conventional production system, technical support to producers, actions of awareness, food education and stimulation of practices of political consumption. The setbacks on the Brazilian context both challenge the construction of food citizenship and lack of a more enthusiastic activism. Until recently, the movement had not positioned itself as a place for political and social reflection, due to its operational and financial dependence, being absorbed by the same conventional market logic, typical of modern social organization. This situation prevents it from perceiving social inequalities as the first obstacles to guaranteeing the right to food. Nevertheless, it is perceived as a movement with a strong potential for the change of the agrifood system. To this end, it is necessary to re-politicize it through the reinvention of food activism strategies, which seek social justice and place the State as an essential actor in guaranteeing decent and universal access to 'good, clean and fair' food.