THE world today relies on fewer than 30 staple crops for 95 per cent of human nutrition. The challenge of extending food awareness and maintaing diverse food sources is at the heart of Slow Food’s mission. Slow Food’s Foundation for Biodiversity organises and funds projects by which the world’s heritage of agricultural food diversity and gastronomic traditions can be defended. Its vision is for a transformed agricultural system that respects local cultural identities, the earth’s resources, sustainable animal husbandry, and human health. Its major projects include the Ark of taste and præsidia.