Terrafutura

Original dialogues between Pope Francis and Carlo Petrini, the Slow Food movement’s founder, on biodiversity, the economy, migration, education, and community

In 2015, Pope Francis launched the idea of “integral ecology” with his encyclical Laudato Si’, addressing Catholics, followers of other faiths, and nonbelievers alike. This groundbreaking reflection examined the serious environmental deterioration of our planet caused by scandalously unjust and irresponsible economic and political systems.

Among the thought leaders who inspired Pope Francis was Carlo Petrini, founder of the Slow Food movement. This movement shares the global commitment to “cultivate and protect” human and earthly goods, proceeding with revolutionary pragmatism toward a life in harmony with oneself, with one’s community, and with nature. Terrafutura features three original dialogues between Pope Francis and Petrini, exploring themes of biodiversity, the economy, migration, education, and community. Petrini’s writings alternate with passages from papal documents, such as the intense “Apostolic Exhortation Querida Amazonia,” the lively intervention “(Re)thinking Europe,” and the affectionate exhortations to Laudato Si’ communities, which suggest new ways of designing the economy and political systems and opening fraternal horizons to the comparison between lay and religious people and between the different cultures of the world.

This book, which represents a radical step in developing the concept of integral ecology, will appeal to readers interested in links between climate change / sustainability and economic systems, as well as theologians, papal scholars, environmental activists, and nonprofits. By connecting contemporary discourse with religious texts, Terrafutura will inspire readers to embrace pacifist, collective activism and envision new models of coexistence in an environment that is “good, clean, and fair.”

Author Biography

Carlo Petrini is the founder of the global Slow Food movement, the University of Gastronomic Sciences, and Terra Madre, a global network of more than two thousand food communities.