Italians have launched a worldwide “eco-gastronomic” movement to save what they say are the latest endangered species — foods that are produced locally and organically, in contrast to mass-produced fast food and industrialized agriculture. The growing Slow Food movement, which has attracted more than 60,000 participants in dozens of countries, has as its symbol a snail, an animal that’s both slow-moving and edible. Proponents of the Slow Food lifestyle gather in their communities to sample local delicacies and savor fine food and wine. A rural farmers’ cooperative in Italy has gotten creative in its efforts to keep small farms afloat. Via the Internet, the farmers are encouraging people to “adopt” an organically raised sheep for $154, entitling them to a year’s supply of merino wool, hand-made cheese, fertilizer — and, if they so choose, lamb chops.
