Creating a direct connection between farmers and consumers: this is the goal of Alce Nero's Campi da sapere initiative. The fourth leg, dedicated to vegetables, took us to Corte all'Olmo, in the province of Verona.
A riot of colours, flavours, shapes and textures. Eating fresh, tasty fruit and vegetables is one of life's great everyday pleasures. With the modernisation of production and the intensification of consumption, however, we have grown accustomed to eating anonymous, dumbed-down and increasingly unhealthy products. Now the time has come to change. This is why supporting organic farming is essential to ensure we can eat natural, nutritious vegetables every day.
Campi da sapere is the initiative by Alce Nero – an organic company with more than 30 years of experience – that takes people directly to the places where its products are grown. The fourth leg of the national tour was held at the farm, agriturismo and educational farm Corte all'Olmo in Ca' di David, in the province of Verona, on 17 May. And so, following the first three legs dedicated to honey, fruit and Alce Nero oil, vegetables took centre stage at this leg.
The central theme of the event is the role of organic farming in safeguarding the health of the environment and of people. Organic is not merely a cultivation method but "a way of thinking", a philosophy in which "the person is central because they connect the land to its products and give meaning to food," said Lucio Cavazzoni, president of Alce Nero.
In painting a picture of the national landscape, Cavazzoni presented significant data. While in Italy approximately 13 per cent of agricultural land is farmed organically, in Lombardy this figure drops to 3 per cent. Yet this region accounts for 40 per cent of organic product consumption at the national level, demonstrating that the agricultural system still needs to catch up with the growing demand for this type of product.
The relationship between producers and consumers was also addressed by Andrea Bertoldi, general manager of Brio, a company that has worked with Alce Nero since 2011 and is a major player in the marketing of organic food products. Bertoldi emphasised how Campi da sapere offers "a point of contact between those who grow and those who consume, a truly rare opportunity for two worlds that do not normally communicate directly."
What separates them, in fact, is mass retail distribution, which represents neither side's interests. Consequently, the role of consumers is essential in supporting farming that is not only organic but that cultivates biodiversity: "It is important that we all change," said Bertoldi, so that the current system truly changes.
That vegetables are good for you is something even children know. Thanks to a contribution from Dr Franco Berrino, physician and epidemiologist, this often taken-for-granted topic was explored in depth. As well as explaining scientifically why vegetables are essential to health, Berrino highlighted another fundamental aspect of wellbeing: the emotional value of eating a wide variety of natural, and therefore organic, vegetables. Biodiversity is beauty, "organic is beauty" and "this beauty is good for your health."
What's more, when food is grown with love, the end consumers are also invited to appreciate it. Berrino urged the audience not to see the act of cooking as a burden, but instead to regard "preparing dinner as an everyday work of art."
Berrino cited the very farm where the event was held as an example to follow. Corte all'Olmo was born from the desire of its founder, Vanda Brutti, to raise her three children in contact with nature. She therefore decided to devote herself to organic farming and to running an agriturismo and educational farm as the fullest expression of her life choice.
Corte all'Olmo has been farming 18 hectares organically since 1996 (certification came after three years of conversion). Filippo Zampieri is responsible for managing the agricultural activities of the farm his mother Vanda founded. One of the fundamental aspects of his work is ensuring organic production while continuously improving it. For example, the plants are irrigated from below rather than from above in order to save water; an apple orchard is cultivated using nets that protect the plants and thus make it possible to reduce the use of additional substances, including those permitted in organic farming; the farm is also committed to growing certain products, such as lettuce, by adopting the principles of biodynamic farming.
Corte all'Olmo, like the other farms at the heart of Campi da sapere, represents the best of a form of agriculture built not only on a more synergistic relationship with nature and people — both those who work the land and those who eat its produce — but one in which cultivation is carried out in an increasingly natural way and with a lower environmental impact. The ultimate goal is for realities such as this one to belong not only to a niche, but for their philosophy to permeate the entire agri-food sector. And all of us, by choosing to buy freshly grown organic food, can support that change.
