In 1986, Italian journalist Carlo Petrini founded the Slow Food movement in Rome to protest against the opening of a McDonald's near the historic Spanish Steps. This movement aimed to combat the rise of globalized fast food and industrial agriculture, advocating for the preservation of local culinary cultures, sustainable farming, and the enjoyment of shared meals. It also sparked a global revival of artisan cheesemaking, emphasizing culinary heritage.

The Slow Food philosophy resonated with eco-poetry and contemporary lyric movements, inspiring poets like Wendell Berry and Gary Snyder to explore themes of tradition and place through the lens of artisanal cheese. This movement encouraged a poetic resistance against consumerism, with writers using detailed descriptions of local ingredients and mindful eating to reflect on ecological and cultural connections.