• Biodynamic agriculture turns 100.
• German certification body Demeter is a guest at Terra Madre 2024.

It is not every day that a century of existence is celebrated, especially when it comes to an agricultural methodology. The world of agriculture evolves slowly, and it is often difficult to identify a precise year for the birth of a particular approach or technique. Nevertheless, Demeter, the pioneering certification for biodynamic agriculture, has a very specific founding date: 1924. This year, to mark its 100th anniversary, it took centre stage at Terra Madre 2024, the flagship event organised by Slow Food, held at Parco Dora in Turin.

For the occasion, Barbara Nappini, president of Slow Food Italia, was keen to stress the importance of changing our perspective towards Nature. "Let's stop talking about saving Nature," said Nappini, highlighting how the slogan of this new edition of Terra Madre, held between 26 and 30 September 2024, is precisely We Are Nature. "At most, it will be Nature that saves us. Provided we treat it well." Not as we are doing now, in other words: to guarantee a sustainable future, it is essential to rethink our relationship with food and with the environment. And this is precisely where Demeter comes in, as main partner of Terra Madre 2024, with its long history of agricultural innovation.

Demeter, the first certification for biodynamic agriculture

Founded in Germany by a group of farmers inspired by the thought of theosophist Rudolf Steiner, Demeter represents the world's first certification for products grown according to the principles of biodynamic agriculture. These pioneers, 100 years ago, were already aware of the environmental impact caused by the use of chemicals in agricultural processes: not only was the quality of food suffering, but soil fertility was also being compromised. Thanks to Steiner's lectures and the spread of his ideas, a movement developed that laid the foundations for food production in harmony with Nature.

Pietro Bevilacqua, agricultural historian, writer and essayist, explained to the Terra Madre audience how the vocabulary of biodynamics was already ahead of its time back then, anticipating concepts that are commonplace today, such as the circular economy. "In biodynamic agriculture, the concept of circularity translates into returning to the soil everything that is taken from it during cultivation. Not only through the use of manure, but also through natural preparations such as valerian or nettle inoculants, to regenerate the soil." These are, therefore, techniques that do not deplete the land but regenerate it, enabling agricultural production that does not exploit, but respects Nature. Bevilacqua described this approach as an economy of care, which counters the model of intensive land exploitation and represents a source of hope for future generations.

The bond between Demeter and Slow Food

One of the most widely discussed aspects is the relationship between biodynamic agriculture and science. In response to sceptics, Sergio Maria Francardo, an anthroposophic doctor (anthroposophy being the discipline based on Rudolf Steiner's teachings), clarified that there are numerous studies attesting to the health benefits of a biodynamic diet. "It has been demonstrated that a diet based on biodynamic products reduces the incidence of allergies and chronic diseases. The quality of these foods has a significant impact on health — an effect we are only just beginning to understand fully." According to Francardo, biodynamic food stimulates the metabolism and strengthens the immune system, offering protection to the body.

Demeter's legacy, however, goes beyond mere agricultural practice: it represents a genuine cultural movement. Over these 100 years, biodynamics has been committed to demonstrating that it is possible to farm sustainably, producing food that nourishes not only the body, but also the Earth. The conference therefore represented a moment of celebration that strengthened the bond between Demeter and Slow Food: "We chose to celebrate Demeter's 100 years at Terra Madre because we share with Slow Food the same values of respect for the land and attention to food quality. Biodynamic agriculture represents one of the most concrete and at the same time ambitious responses to the challenges of our present," concluded Enrico Amico, president of Demeter Italia.