A question we are often asked as experts on the Camino is: “What food is available on the Camino de Santiago”? Food on the Camino can vary, but is often simple and nutritious, giving pilgrims a balanced meal to fuel them on The Way of St James. Nowadays, some of the best food on the Camino de Santiago is also inspired by the ‘Slow Food’ movement, with a focus on using local, seasonal food grown for a reduced impact on the planet.
We talked to Leonor Lorenzo, President of Slow Food Compostela (the Galician association for the Slow Food movement), about her organisation’s aims to bring “good, clean and fair nutrition” to all.
Thanks for chatting with us, Leonor! How did Slow Food start?
The Slow Food movement was born in the 1980s with the arrival of the first McDonald’s in Rome. Reacting against the growth of the fast food industry, food critic Carlo Petrini started a movement to highlight Italian gastronomy. Thus emerged a philosophy based on preserving agricultural traditions and protecting natural biodiversity. The ‘Slow Food’ idea grew quickly, establishing itself globally, with local support groups for producers ensuring their right to define their own sustainable food and agriculture systems now commonplace.
Slow Food is defined by the following principles.
- The food we consume must taste good;
- Food must be produced without unnecessary impact to the environment, animal welfare or our health; and
- Producers must be fairly compensated for their work.
The ultimate goal of the Slow Food movement is to fix a broken system.
Slow Food Compostela itself was born in 2016 after visiting Italy. There, I learned about the movement and its cultural and environmental implications, as well as its possible implementation in Galicia. Once the relationship was established, the next step was to legally establish ourselves as an association in Spain under the umbrella of Slow Food International. Then, we began to build our own relationships with small restaurateurs and artisanal producers.
What are the negative effects of food waste? And how does the food sector contribute to it?
When we waste food, we also waste all the energy and water it takes to grow, harvest, transport, and package it. And if food ends up in the landfill and rots, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas even more powerful than carbon dioxide.
One of the main reasons food waste occurs during production is a lack of efficiency. However, it’s not enough to accept this as standard. We need to analyse where inefficiencies occur and if they are avoidable. Approximately 5% waste during production is accepted as standard. Eurostat estimates that around 7% of all food wasted in the EU is generated by producers, while a further 39% stems from processors, retailers, and restaurateurs.
What can small businesses do to reduce food waste?
Small businesses can take advantage of the parts of food previously considered waste. There are now restaurants and community initiatives that focus on recycled cuisine, which generates less waste and saves money on the purchase of raw materials. Composting also ensures food waste that is not usable can be converted into fertiliser and then benefit the producer.
How does Slow Food Compostela support food producers?
The most common profile of business that approaches us is the ‘family farmer’. These types of farms have changed rapidly in recent years. Though agricultural techniques are often inherited, the modern producer must reach a level of professionalisation they may not be prepared for. The owner of a farm, beyond the work of agricultural production, must also perform administrative, accounting and commercial duties, and even distribute stock. This is a huge workload for which they are often under-staffed and under qualified.
Our work helps producers to create shorter supply chains, reducing the number of intermediaries between production and consumption.
What are some of your most interesting projects in Galicia?
There are a lot of Galician producers and food businesses doing interesting work. This can be anything from dehydrating fruits and vegetables using solar panels, producing vegan chorizo made from spiced pumpkin, farming native breeds of cattle in danger of extinction, creating products made with seaweed (including bread and sweets), and reviving ancestral recipes for biscuits. There is no end to the scope of what our partners can get involved with!
How does Slow Food Compostela hope to evolve in the next 5 years?
We hope to keep helping to create shorter supply chains for our producers. With this help, we can also generate quality jobs in the primary industry, which will encourage more decision makers in government and industrial sectors to back food produced locally in Galicia. Personally, I would also like our growth to remain steady enough to be able to serve all our associates in Slow Food Compostela in the best way possible. That can look different for different types of businesses, and we hope to provide the right support wherever we can.
How can Slow Food Compostela and Follow the Camino work together to achieve their goals?
A major element of Slow Food Compostela’s identity is to protect the unique culture of Galicia, so we believe the Camino de Santiago is a core part of this. So, it makes sense for us to work on building relationships with businesses that fit this philosophy.
We support measures reducing the risks of exploitation of local businesses in favour of over-tourism. One such way to do that is by limiting the presence of chain souvenir shops and instead encouraging local businesses selling products made in Galicia. Another measure is to support restaurants and food businesses that can demonstrate a commitment to local food production with sustainable and seasonal ingredients.
Beyond just food, the intention of “good, clean, and fair” is the best way to assess if a business is truly committed to sustainability.
Want to learn more about green initiatives on the Camino? Read about Follow the Camino’s commitment to sustainability.