Slow food is an international movement that aims to preserve local food cultures and make people aware of the benefits of a traditional diet. It was launched in Italy in the late 1980s with the establishment of the first local association and now is supported by more than 800 local group in over 50 countries. The movement has several missions. One of them is to protect the gastronomic culture and trandition foods in each area. This mission comes from a concern that diversity in diet might disappear as fast food becomes a standard item on people's tables all over the world. Another goal of the Slow Food movement is to make healthy, safe foods available to everyone. For this purpose, the foundation rewards small-scale farmers who supply such products to their communities. Finally, Slow Food advocates are committed to informing citizens, especially young ones, about their regional food cultures and teaching them how to enjoy the taste of tranditional dishes. To achieve this goal, local groups hold "taste education" workshops and seminars in their areas.