Slow Food describes a movement created “to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world,” according to the movement’s website. More broadly, it involves an emphasis on local and seasonal produce and an adherence to regional cultures. Its goals also include lobbying against the use of pesticides and genetic engineering of food.

There are Slow Food chapters and events all over the world, but if the movement feels a bit daunting, try thinking about which of its various components can work for you: cultivate traditional herbs, fruits, and vegetables in your own garden, or cook one meal a week that is entirely organic. More importantly, learn more about your region and the foods native to it.