In Italy, the under-35s are the protagonists of a historic return to the fields. And, thanks to their innovative spirit and acquired skills, they are making farms more sustainable.
That of the farmer is no longer just a trade of the past or a job carried out solely by older generations. At the start of 2020, presenting the results of an analysis carried out on Infocamere data, Coldiretti announced a historic return to the land by young people con 56,000 under-35s leading agricultural businesses (+12 per cent over the last five years), a record in the European Union.
The agricultural sector boasts more than ten per cent of the young people who run businesses and create jobs in Italy, with seven out of ten under-35 enterprises having developed, in addition to cultivation, activities such as product processing and direct sales, educational farming, social agriculture for the inclusion of disadvantaged people, landscape care and renewable energy production. Still according to the Coldiretti analysis, the professionalism, innovation and passion of young people in agriculture means their farms have a larger surface area of more than 54 per cent compared to the average, a higher turnover of 75 per cent, and 50 per cent more employees per farm.
And it is not only the under-35s who carry on the family farm, but also first-generation young farmers who, with a different kind of background (half are graduates) or experience from other sectors, have placed their bet on the countryside, increasingly seen as an opportunity for employment and professional growth.
There are also many young people who decide to farm using organic methods and to join innovative services that allow direct contact with consumers. Such as Biorfarm, the first digital farming community through which you can adopt a tree, supporting small farmers and receiving organic agricultural products at home directly from the farmer.
"I had in mind a tree-adoption project and, while trying to work out how to get it off the ground, I came across Biorfarm, an already well-organised platform that welcomed me straight away with great enthusiasm," says Giorgio Mirabella, 31, who carries on the family business, a farm with land spread across the provinces of Palermo and Agrigento where orange groves and olive groves extend. "I liked Biorfarm because it shortens the distance between producer and consumer: it lets me tell people what lies behind my fruit, also providing a kind of food education. It's also interesting to receive feedback from people — both the positive kind and the negative kind, which helps you grow; feedback you simply cannot get when you sell exclusively through large-scale retail, other than by looking at the volume of products sold."
Giorgio is an agronomist and, thanks to his professional sensibility, he has converted the farm to organic. "It's a method that requires more time and care for the crops, but one that brings the plants to a natural equilibrium that, in the long run, provides stability and allows the land to be used to its full potential. Of course, there is a slight drop in yields, but the product gains in quality because it contains no chemical residues from pesticides." In addition to traditional crops, Giorgio has begun to produce finger lime (or lemon caviar). "It's a plant originally from Australia. There were a few greenhouse cultivations here; I tried growing it in the field. I took a risk, but after a year I was pleased to obtain the first fruits." An innovation that, like others, initially met with a degree of scepticism from Giorgio's father, Paolo, who is still on the farm. "Generational clashes are inevitable, but by reflecting on things we manage to bring our different lines of thinking together. If on one hand I have innovative ideas, on the other I need my father's experience to avoid making mistakes." Beyond his father's support, the young farmer has also felt backed by institutions. "There are various forms of assistance for young people who decide to enter farming. In 2017, for example, I made use of a European Union grant that benefited another 1,700 young people here in Sicily. In addition, for the first three years Inps relieves us of social security contributions." And the plans do not stop there: "I would like to plant an almond grove and set up a henhouse with two hundred free-range laying hens reared using organic methods."
From Sicily we travel virtually to Calabria to meet another young farmer. In the Gioia Tauro plain, Francesco Cordopatri, 33, cultivates olive trees, citrus fruits, kiwis and vegetables, carrying on the family legacy of the farm Villa Cordopatri. "More than a business, I would define ours as a bond with the land that has endured for several generations. My family has always faithfully served this supremely fertile territory, and today we seek to carry that devotion forward, turning it into an evolved enterprise." A vocation that Francesco felt from an early age: raised with a deep regard for the value of the environment, he channelled this principle through agriculture. To do so he studied hard: "Despite the difficulties, with deep humility, the desire to do and to learn, I continue to try to keep alive the work of those who came before me, building and sometimes rebuilding. In the end, the future can be erected on the foundations of the memory of a fine past, and this is the basis of my commitment." It is precisely the prudence and experience of past generations that allow Francesco to find the right balance in his entrepreneurial initiatives.
For him today, being a young farmer means facing the demands of modern agriculture with the utmost dynamism and energy. And in this context, being an organic farmer is one of the most compelling challenges. "I try to put into practice the stimuli that come from training and continuous professional development. We know by now that we must aim for precision agriculture, maximising results, preserving resources, and implementing the dual dimension of 'sustainability' (economic and environmental). Technology 4.0 and the expertise of our partners help us in this, and we constantly invest in them. As well as through technology, I also try to bring innovation to the farm through biodiversity and diversification. I have in fact launched several initiatives to enhance crops that belong to the history of our territory, while projecting them towards the future." In his work, Francesco has always considered institutional support to be fundamental: "I find that institutions have shown themselves to be attentive to young people. By continuing to work in synergy, further important milestones can be reached." And then there are projects like Biorfarm's, through which he has been able to have new experiences: "It is important to make the people who buy from us aware of the world behind every single piece of fruit. Consumer awareness is a great added value to agricultural work and to the quality of the products."
The stories of young farmers like Giorgio and Francesco, who meet on Biorfarm, are many. Paolo Rossi, born in 1989, runs his family's organic farm in Val di Non, Trentino, dedicated to growing apples. Lorenzo Picco also grows apples (along with blueberries and hazelnuts), but in Barge (CN): he chose to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and great-uncle, and through a circular economy project he obtained a paste from apple waste that can be used in everything from confectionery to beauty creams. Also in Barge, Elisabetta Fraire, after graduating in food technology, produces jams and juices from fruit grown on the family farm and welcomes tourists who want to experience rural life. So does Filippo Farinaro who, together with a group of friends, founded Agricola Rufrae in Presenzano (CE), offering activities such as an educational farm for young children, sowing and harvesting experiences, eurythmy and singing workshops, yoga and meditation lessons, open-air walks to discover the wonders of the local area, and cultural and anthroposophy seminars. In Cesarò (ME), Davide Virzì, born in 1991, after graduating in law, gaining experience in finance and spending a period of study at Columbia University in New York, returned to Italy to devote himself body and soul to the family business. In Noto (SR), meanwhile, Giuseppe, 29, set aside his passion for the world of IT to take on the legacy of his grandfather Ciccio and the Azienda agricola biologica Leone, among almond trees, olive trees, citrus fruits and carob trees. If young people are the future, this is the future of agriculture!