05/25/2026
from our friends at Slow Foods Sonoma County North:
Dear friends,
It is with a heavy heart that we share with you terribly sad news: our founder and leader, Carlo Petrini, passed away last Thursday.
After a long and difficult illness, his battle has come to an end. Yet even in the most challenging moments, he never withdrew from the mission he so deeply loved. With unwavering dedication, he continued to give his time, his energy, and his vision to the movement until the very last moment.
Carlo dedicated his whole life to imagining, realizing, and nurturing what Slow Food has become today. His loss is immeasurable for our movement and for each of us who had the privilege not only to work alongside him, but to be inspired, challenged, and guided by him.
At this moment of grief, we are called, more than ever, to hold close the values he stood for. Let us transform our sadness into renewed commitment to the ideals he believed in so profoundly: good, clean, and fair food for all. This is how his legacy will continue to live on.
Let us come together to carry forward what he began, taking inspiration from the courage, generosity, and vision that defined his life. Let us reach out to our members and activists, draw strength from one another, and allow his example to inspire all of us further. Let us remember why we joined this movement, what continues to move us, and let that conviction guide our path ahead.
From a small group of friends in the Italian countryside in the 1980s, Carlo helped grow a movement that now touches the lives of millions around the world. His dream became a tangible shared journey for so many of us—and that journey continues. What he so often said remains profoundly true: “Those who sow utopia will reap reality.” And no one, more than him, has brought such an extraordinary and far-reaching reality to life in every corner of the planet.
In the coming months, we will create moments together with all of you to honor Carlo, his life, celebrate his extraordinary legacy, and reaffirm our commitment to the path he opened for all of us. For those of you who will join us in Turin for Terra Madre, we will come together as a global community to pay him tribute in the place where so much of his vision takes place.
If you wish to share a message honoring Carlo’s memory, you can do so here at the link in the comments section. The messages collected here will be published on our website. If you wish instead to send a private message, you can write to c.petrini @ slowfood.it.
With sadness, gratitude, and solidarity,
Slow Food Sonoma County North Board of Directors and
Edie Mukiibi, President, Slow Food International
