The agri-food system of the Mediterranean region is a unique melting pot of diversity: morphological and hydrogeological diversity, or geo-diversity; diversity of crop varieties, or agro-biodiversity; landscape diversity; and diversity of flora and fauna, or bio-diversity.
The truth is that we cannot separate a territory from its agricultural production. Every territory has its own identity, and this identity is expressed through what it produces.
The main actors in Mediterranean agricultural landscapes are undoubtedly small local farmers, who play an essential role in preserving the biodiversity and agricultural wealth of the entire Mediterranean basin, as well as nurturing and safeguarding local ecosystems, natural resources and landscapes.
Today, directly from the Paideia Campus, we had the opportunity to connect with some of the people on the front line of protecting the most iconic Mediterranean products, representing consortia, networks and cooperatives.
Mozzarella
Producing mozzarella is, first of all, a ritual: the ritual of “mozzare”, or cutting, the pasta filata. It is wisdom and craftsmanship, it is quality.
The same quality can be found in Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, which is produced exclusively with fresh whole buffalo milk from farms located in certified areas and according to traditional processing methods found only in this specific production area.
These are the elements that define Mozzarella di Bufala Campana as the “queen of Mediterranean cuisine” and that have been protected under the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) since 1996.
The Consortium for the Protection of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana was founded in 1986, even before the designation of origin, to ensure the protection, supervision, enhancement and promotion of this extraordinary cheese from Central-Southern Italy.
Ettore Bellelli is one of the faces behind the consortium, reminding us how crucial it is to bring people inside farms, to meet the buffaloes and to experience how they are raised and how the land around them is managed.
Pasta
Since the most ancient mythologies, wheat has been worshipped as a divinity.
In Mediterranean agro-ecosystems, wheat is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and characteristic crops, harvested, used and transformed into different products, with pasta being the most famous.
Within the Mediterranean foodscape, Pasta from Gragnano is one of the most renowned.
Known throughout Europe as the City of Pasta, Gragnano is a small village of 14 square kilometres that has been producing and grinding grain since Roman times.
The waters of the Vernotico torrent, which flowed through the so-called Valle dei Mulini, or Valley of the Mills, powered the blades that ground crops arriving by sea from Roman colonies.
This resulted in the development of a cultural heritage perfectly woven into the natural landscape and now recognised as an intangible heritage as well: since 2012, Pasta from Gragnano has been listed as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).
“Protecting a PGI product means protecting a product that reflects the image of the Earth.” Giovanni Cafiero, Consortium for the Protection of Gragnano PGI.
Vegetables
The Mediterranean Diet is characterised by a nutritional model that has remained constant across time and space, consisting mainly of olive oil, whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, and legumes.
Among the many products that represent Mediterranean pride is the Cipolla di Tropea, the Tropea onion, from the small city of Tropea in Calabria, Italy.
The extent to which the production of this specific onion represents local people and their territory can already be understood from its name: the onion itself takes the name of the city.
Rich in anthocyanins and quercetin, one of the antioxidants par excellence, the distinctive qualities of this onion are deeply rooted in its interaction with the environment: the characteristics of the soil, proximity to the sea and level of humidity.
It is this precious and stable interaction with the landscape that, since the time of the Phoenicians almost 4,000 years ago, has shaped these particular characteristics.
Joining us in Pollica is Simone Saturnino, representing the Consortium for the Protection of the Red Onion of Tropea Calabria PGI.
“Antioxidants are a plant response to the environment. They are not a landscape function, but a landscape integration function. We cannot domesticate the environment with respect to plants, but plants have adapted to the environment.”
Giuseppe Cilento, Founder of the New Cilento Cooperative
Olive Oil
There are countless historical, literary and mythological references that emphasise the sacred value of olive oil, dating back to the earliest antiquity.
As early as the sixth century BC, the Athenian legislator Solon introduced laws for the protection of olive trees; the Greek philosopher Democritus identified a diet based on honey and olive oil as the foundation of longevity; and the poet Homer referred to olive oil as “liquid gold.”
Within the Mediterranean Diet as well, olive oil is the undisputed protagonist of the agri-cultural identity of the territory, connecting the places around the Basin.
Italy, located at the heart of the Mediterranean, has a unique privilege: living surrounded by olive trees and having access to 42% of the olive tree varieties found in the world.
Giuseppe Cilento, Founder of the New Cilento Cooperative, and Lorenzo Caponetti, Permaculturist and Breeder, guided us through the precious role that olive trees still play today in the Mediterranean Basin, as well as the challenges involved in safeguarding genuine olive oil.
The Power of Network
Three keywords can be drawn from the consortia, cooperatives, women’s fruit and vegetable associations and organisations dedicated to preserving the value of Italian Food in the world that emerged today during the official kick-off of the International Week of Italian Cuisine in the World:
- Aggregation: networking creates strength.
- Communication: all the values connected to food need to be understood and shared, from producers to cooks and households.
- Education: practical education that takes place through the direct discovery of the landscape, in the fields, with farmers and breeders.
“Future development doesn’t have to become something so big that it moves the world. It has to be so deep that we can continue to hold on to our roots.”
Edmondo Soffritti, Rareche – Network of Regenerative Farmers in Cilento
