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SAN FRANCISCO - Labour Day weekend marks the first major stateside event for the Italian-born group that trumpets sustainable, local and artisanal foods as the best antidote to the world's increasingly industrialized (and sometimes troubled) food system.

Slow Food has made great strides in Europe, where its biennial celebration attracts hundreds of thousands of people, but so far the group has been just a blip on the American foodie radar.

Organizers of Slow Food Nation, as the San Francisco event has been dubbed, hope to change that during the four-day gathering of farmers, chefs, food artisans and others concerned about food quality.

The event will include tastings, conferences on the role of food in social justice and environmental concerns, music and film. A variety of high profile Slow Food advocates, including Alice Waters and writer Michael Pollan, plan to attend.

Conferences will cover a range of issues, including climate change, sustainable agriculture and how to eat slow, sustainably harvested food on a budget.

Slow Food Nation is being held Aug. 29 to Sept. 1 in San Francisco. Many events require tickets, which can be purchased online at http://www.slowfoodnation.org/