Nothing and no one left behind
The Covid-19 pandemic showed us how closely connected health, ecosystems, and the Planet's resource limits are. The pandemic emphasized the importance of a food system capable of responding to environmental, social, and health challenges.
With this project we want to meet the new needs that emerged with the health emergency in the agri-food sector of the Province of Varese. We are going to start from the increase of local biodiversity, connection with nature and social inclusion.
Biodiversity supports our ability to produce food and services, increases resilience to climate change, and enables production systems to adapt to emerging environmental challenges. However, today it is severely threatened, in the agri-food sector as well. Of the approximately 6,000 species of plants grown for food, only 9 make up 66% of total production. World livestock production is based on about 40 animal species. Nearly all the meat, milk and eggs we consume, on the other hand, are produced by very few species, and 26% of the breeds raised locally are at risk of extinction.
We aim to respond to the loss of biodiversity in the agricultural sector in the Province of Varese. For this reason, we are working with the Agricultural Social Cooperative La Monda to preserve and enhance the local agricultural ecosystems. We will recover a chestnut forest and create hedges of trees and bushes that will provide shelter and food for wildlife. In addition, we will increase the flora diversity to support the valuable work of pollinating insects. A new orchard will allow the recovery of ancient varieties, while a chicken coop will host endangered breeds.
Our goal is to increase work opportunities in the agriculture sector for fragile people and unemployed youth. We will do this by widening the production of the Cooperative and organizing professional and practical training courses, with experts in the field, on the techniques of biodynamic fruit and vegetable growing and beekeeping. Thanks to the attention to the products of the earth and the contact with nature, social agriculture allows to improve relational skills, quality of life and individual well-being.
We promote responsible habits of consumption through workshops, laboratories and awareness campaigns targeting schools and citizens. In addition, the new sales system of the Cooperative to adapt to the pandemic situation is an opportunity to make this reality a point of reference for the whole community.
