Key facts
- Edward Mukiibi, a Ugandan farmer and agronomist, is the current leader of the Slow Food movement.
- Mukiibi aims to make the movement relevant to communities in the developing world.
- He believes that sustainable and organic food should not be considered a luxury.
- Mukiibi voiced concerns about China's growing agricultural influence and investment in Africa.
- He advocates for prioritizing the needs of small farmers and local communities over large agricultural lobbies.
Edward Mukiibi, a Ugandan farmer and agronomist, is now at the helm of the Slow Food movement, an organization founded in Rome in 1986 by Carlo Petrini to protest the arrival of McDonald's in Italy. Mukiibi, who has been president since 2022 after serving as vice-president since 2014, aims to steer the movement beyond its European origins and make it relevant to communities across the developing world, while preserving the vision of its late founder.
Mukiibi, who runs a family farm growing coffee and bananas near Lake Victoria, is focused on challenging the perception that sustainable or organic food is a luxury. He argues that rural African families often eat organically by default and that the challenge lies in creating food systems that pay farmers fairly while keeping prices affordable for consumers. He highlighted the importance of shorter supply chains and strong local markets, a call that has been central to Slow Food's message for decades.
The international movement, which describes itself as having a presence in over 160 countries, includes local groups and activists such as farmers, food sellers, and restaurateurs. Mukiibi urged governments, particularly in developing nations, to prioritize the needs of small farmers and local communities over the agendas of large agricultural lobbies. He also expressed concern regarding China's expanding agricultural footprint in Africa, citing investments and trade deals that he believes could lead to a "new wave of extraction" through debt.
Mukiibi's commitment to farming stems from his upbringing in Uganda, where he studied agronomy to demonstrate that farming can be a profession pursued with pride. His discovery of the Slow Food movement in 2008, after a monocultural maize project failed during a drought, was a transformative experience, connecting him with a global community working towards similar goals for the planet and farmers.