There is a kind of farming that produces food, but also relationships, jobs and services. That reclaims land and ancient varieties, experiments with new forms of cooperation, creates income opportunities and tries to counter the depopulation of small communities. This is the common thread running through the 24th edition of Bandiera Verde Agricoltura, the award promoted by Cia-Agricoltori Italiani, assigned this year to ten farms, two municipalities, three off-farm initiatives and one special project. At the heart of the 2026 edition is the role of agricultural enterprises in sustaining the economic and social fabric of inland areas — territories in which farming activity often represents far more than a productive sector: it acts as a bulwark against abandonment, helps conserve the landscape and biodiversity, and keeps alive communities that would otherwise risk losing services and opportunities.

The figures convey the scale of the challenge. Rural areas account for 48.6 per cent of Italian municipalities and 58.8 per cent of the national territory. In the meantime, the added value of Italian agriculture has reached 43.1 billion euros, confirming the country's primacy in Europe. But behind these figures, above all, are entrepreneurial stories that show how it is possible to build development starting from local resources. "The right to stay is not a slogan, but a concrete commitment," explained the national president of Cia, Cristiano Fini. "With Bandiera Verde we recognise those who today choose to run a business and build their own future in their land of origin, even when it is inconvenient and uncertain." Fini also highlighted the conditions needed to make this choice possible: infrastructure, connectivity, essential services, generational renewal and an adequate income for farmers.

The Gold award to the Langhe: farming, hospitality and identity

The most important recognition, the Bandiera Verde Gold 2026, went to Poderi Luigi Einaudi, the historic winemaking estate in Dogliani, in the Langhe, founded in 1897 by Luigi Einaudi. Around 150 hectares of land and a long winemaking tradition are today complemented by a hospitality offering that includes a relais set within a late-18th-century historic residence, with ten rooms and a gastronomic offer tied to local produce. The awarded model is that of an enterprise that has succeeded in integrating wine production with experiential tourism, tastings and the enhancement of the cultural and landscape heritage of the Langhe. But it is above all by looking at the other awarded businesses that the variety of experiences capable of generating development in the Italian countryside becomes apparent.

• In Calabria, in San Floro, the Agri-Young award went to Mulinum, the project founded by young entrepreneur Stefano Caccavari to revive the tradition of ancient grains. Born also thanks to a mobilisation and a crowdfunding campaign on social media, the project has breathed new life into an ancient mill and built a short supply chain that starts with the organic cultivation of varieties such as Senatore Cappelli, Maiorca and Verna, continues with stone milling and arrives at the artisan production of bread and baked goods.
• The ability to combine farming and biodiversity protection is instead at the heart of the experience of Le Crede, in Portogruaro, awarded in the Agri-Woman category. Led by Cecilia Irene Massaggia, the farm has transformed a rural holding into an agroecological reality that integrates cultivation, agritourism, wine tourism and cultural events. An example of territorial regeneration that brings together environmental sustainability and slow tourism.
• From Sicily comes the Agri-Welfare recognition for Azienda Agricola Arena – Bontà d'Asina, in the plain of Catania. Here, the organic rearing of the Ragusa donkey is integrated with the production of milk also destined for dermo-cosmetics and with an educational farm recognised by the Region. During the last school year the farm welcomed around 8,000 children, involving them in activities connected to agricultural life, from sowing to harvesting, through to milking.
• Innovation and the circular economy are instead the reasons behind the Agri-Innovation award to Azienda Agricola Micologica De Biasi, in Castellaneta, in the province of Taranto. Specialising in the cultivation of cardoncello mushrooms, it has developed a production system that uses by-products from the agri-food industry to create substrates for mushroom cultivation. Laboratory research, collaboration with universities and the Cnr, climate-controlled greenhouses and facilities also powered by renewable sources complete a model aimed at reducing waste and environmental impact.
• The relationship between tradition and digital innovation characterises Azienda Agricola Romaniello Michele, in the Vallo di Diano, awarded the Agri-Web prize. The family business recovers local varieties of cereals and pulses, such as Abbondanza, Carosella and Saragolla, grown through crop rotations and green manuring. The transformation into stone-ground flours is accompanied by the use of satellite monitoring systems for production and by online sales, which makes it possible to reach consumers across Italy.
• In the Marche, Società Agricola Luzi Gianluigi e Andrea received the Agri-Family award. Founded in 1995 to carry on the family farming tradition, it is today run by brothers Gianluigi and Andrea. The business has focused on the organic cultivation of cereals and pulses, with particular attention to spelt, and on building a supply chain that involves hundreds of farmers through the Rete Sinagri. Agricultural production, stone milling and marketing are integrated into a process that enhances the work of local enterprises.
• The protection of traditional agricultural varieties is also at the centre of the Agri-IG award, assigned to Azienda Agricola Belisario Domenico, in Sarconi, in Basilicata. The business is engaged in the cultivation and promotion of the Fagioli di Sarconi IGP, producing and packaging twenty different ecotypes. Conservation work on biodiversity that has also contributed to the European recognition process for the protected geographical designation.
• In Puglia, in Giurdignano, in the Salento, the Agri-Ecology award was assigned to Borgia Tartufi, a family business that has developed a supply chain dedicated to the sourcing, cultivation and processing of truffles. The project combines low-impact agronomic practices, rewilding interventions on woodland areas, protection of native species and investment in renewable energy.
• Completing the list of ten awarded businesses is Poggio di Camporbiano, in Gambassi Terme, in the province of Florence, which received the Agri-Cooperation recognition. Across around 200 hectares, several families have built a collective management model that integrates organic and biodynamic farming, the cultivation of cereals, vegetables and orchards, livestock rearing and in-house processing. Decisions are taken jointly by the members, while direct sales and collaboration with solidarity purchasing groups help keep economic value within the community.

The special award and the role of municipalities

Alongside the businesses, Cia also wished to recognise the value of collective forms of land management. The Premio Speciale 2026 was awarded to the Consorzio Uomini di Massenzatica, in the territory of Mesola, in the province of Ferrara. Its origins date back to the Middle Ages, while its formal establishment dates to 1896. Today it manages approximately 350 hectares in the Po Delta, with a collective ownership model that supports small farmers, promotes biodiversity and keeps social economy initiatives active. Among these is the "Negozio del Fresco", in the hamlet of Monticelli, which guarantees the distribution of bread and home delivery of groceries, especially for elderly people and residents of the more outlying areas. A service that illustrates well how agricultural management can also become a form of community welfare.

Two municipalities were awarded prizes. Viggiano, in the province of Potenza, was recognised for its promotion of the agricultural and cultural identity of the Val d'Agri and for its projects dedicated to sustainability, biodiversity and the cultivation of medicinal plants. Imola, in the province of Bologna, received the award for promoting local agri-food supply chains through the collective mark "Dal cuore di Imola", which involves almost thirty producers and artisans, and for its ecological transition initiatives. These include the planting of over 7,000 trees, cycling mobility and the development of a renewable energy community.

Finally, three non-company awards were presented. The Agri-Territorio prize went to the Rai News 24 segment "Sapori e Colori", for its coverage of Italian rural productions and communities. The Agri-Scuola award was given to the Istituto Tecnico Agrario "Cosimo Ridolfi" di Scerni, in Abruzzo, which in the 2026–2027 two-year period celebrates 150 years of history and stands out for its precision agriculture training projects, including through a dedicated drone laboratory. The Agri-Cultura prize went instead to the film "Benvenuti in campagna", directed by Giambattista Avellino and starring Maurizio Lastrico and Giulia Bevilacqua, which recounts with humour the difficulties and rewards of agricultural life, contrasting the romantic image of the countryside with the day-to-day reality of working in the fields. Different experiences, then, but united by one element: the capacity to transform agriculture into a resource that goes beyond production and the market. Because in inland areas, where the loss of services and opportunities accelerates depopulation, a farm can also represent a social outpost, a source of employment and a point of reference for those who continue to live in those territories.