Tag: environment

The importance of water in nutrition: a precious resource – Italian Cuisine

L’waterfall it is an essential resource for life, not only for our bodies, but also for the entire planet. The complex relationship between water and food reveals how this fundamental element directly influences our health, agriculture, the environment and the economy.

Water as an essential component of our body and the planet

L’Water makes up over 50% of our body, playing a crucial role in all biological processes. Not only our organism, but also the entire Earth is influenced by water, which covers most of its surface. This vital element is omnipresent, but not infinite. Its responsible management is essential to ensure the well-being of present and future generations.

Water in agriculture: a precious and often wasted resource

Agriculture is the sector that absorbs the majority of freshwater resources, constituting 70% of overall consumption. However, this usage is often inefficient. Sprinkler irrigation, widely used in large agricultural areas, requires large quantities of water, with a significant portion evaporating before reaching the soil. Furthermore, water collection and reuse are not common practices, while the use of pesticides, fertilizers and antibiotics in agriculture can cause pollution and contamination of water resources.

Food waste and its impact on water

In addition to the inefficiency in water management in agriculturefood is often wasted. Every year, 30% of the food produced is thrown away, wasting water equivalent to the water needs of New York City for the next twenty years. This double waste, of food and water, is unsustainable and requires greater awareness.

Drought, floods and the climate crisis: additional challenges

There climate crisis further complicates the relationship between water and nutrition. The drought is considered a kind of imminent pandemic, with 1.5 billion people already under water stress, a figure set to rise to 47% by 2030. Furthermore, phenomena such as worsening droughts in Italy and rising sea levels in the Pacific Islands affect food production, threatening food security.

Economic and political aspects

Water is also the subject of economic and political dynamics. Large corporations, the mining industry and international trade often undermine sustainable water management for the benefit of private interests and profit. In many cases, local communities, often poor and poorly educated, suffer the consequences of these dynamics.

L’Water is a fundamental resource for human life, agriculture, the environment and the economy. Its responsible management is essential to ensure the survival of present and future generations. World Food Day on 16 October, dedicated to water, invited us to reflect on how we can preserve this precious resource and guarantee a sustainable future for all. Awareness of water-related challenges and the adoption of virtuous policies and behaviors are imperative to address these complex challenges.

Honey supply chain: the secret world of Italian beekeepers – Italian Cuisine

There director of the documentary, Rosy Sinicropi, shares his point of view on the life of beekeepers: «Since I started telling the stories of beekeepers through images, I have perceived an “invisible” humanity, almost always behind the scenes, but resolute in its presence. From the beginning I saw strength, tiredness, resistance, passion, even a bit of madness. I heard stories of fathers, of loves, of defeats, of changes, of pain and satisfaction and, unexpectedly, in the epilogue of these stories, I found “poetry”. It’s as if the bees were traveling companions who allowed those I met to look at themselves and the world with an ever new perspective.”

The documentary Voices of invisible people offers us one unique perspective on the life of beekeepers in Italy. There are 15 video testimonials who guide us through different environments in different regions of the Peninsula, from Piedmont to Sicily. These testimonies also show us the work of the “nomadic gatherers”, who follow the blooms to allow the bees to produce fine and unique honey. The documentary is an authentic reportage that recounts the daily challenges that beekeepers face while living in harmony with nature, trying to protect bees and our well-being in every ecosystem.

Voices of invisible people is available in full on the website www.storiediapicoltori.it, offering a unique opportunity to discover the lives and stories of the “guardians of nature” who keep the Italian beekeeping tradition alive. This documentary is a tribute to the dedication of those who have chosen to dedicate their lives to bees and to the promotion of a sustainable honey culture.

What is CONAPI and what does it do

CONAPI is the largest beekeeping cooperative in Europe, with around 600 beekeepers, 100 thousand hives, of which almost half are organic, and as many as 5 billion bees throughout Italy. This cooperative has an office in Monterenzio, in the province of Bologna, and is a point of reference for the production and promotion of high quality honey. CONAPI is committed to connecting beekeeping with people through innovative and cultural initiatives.

the fontina that will save the environment – Italian Cuisine

This is not just cheese. It is a philosophy of life, a millenary tradition, love for one's territory and the desire to protect pastures at all costs.

Fontina from the Valle d'Aosta mountains is linked to well-established places and practices, but there is a Fontina that is located a little higher than usual.

Estrema d'Alpeggio Fontina PDO is defined as "the highest dairy product of excellence in Europe": it is the result of a study initiated in 2016 byARPAV (Association of Alpine Pasture Owners), supervised byInstitut Agricole Régional of the Aosta Valley and born thanks to the funds of Gal Valle d'Aosta. The territories involved are those between 2000 and 2700 meters, called "tsa", and the disciplinary provides more stringent rules than the classic Fontina DOP.

What is the added value?

We discovered it by visiting the pasture of Ollomont, Conca di By of Aurelio Cretier.

The particularity ofExtreme Fontina DOP is that the cows are fed only with pasture grass. A special feature for several reasons. When making Fontina at these altitudes, you cannot rely on vegetation all year round, it is important to follow the cycle of the seasons. That grass is only there at that precise moment and it is essential that the shepherd also has the ability to divide it over the course of the three months, guiding the animals, which return to the earth all the value of a nourishment exclusively based on grass and water, without any kind of supplement. Become a virtuous circle. All this gives the final product softness, creaminess it's a'herbaceous aroma single. And the beauty is that each mountain pasture has its own characteristics depending on the vegetation or exposure.

How does the mountain pasture take place?

It is not only the altitudes that are extreme: there is also the work of all the people involved, from dairyman to the handyman. Their effort is another value to underline.

The pasture begins in late June and lasts until mid-September. Traditionally there are no precise dates, but account is taken of the celebrations of the saints: in the Aosta Valley it starts in San Bernardo and ends in San Michele. About 100 days wake up at 3 in the morning: grazing, milking, cleaning, milk processing, all twice a day, and then the care of the fontina cheese, to be cleaned every day with a solution of water and salt.

And finally, after the hard summer spent on the mountain pastures, we celebrate. On the day of San Michele, on 29 September, a deeply felt traditional event is held: the désarpa, during which the cows return to the valley together with the farmers, thanked and celebrated by all the people along the streets in celebration.

Daniela Fornaciarini, owner of the mountain pasture, perfectly explained to us what all this means. She, who learned to walk right here, at the age of 15 had already decided that her destiny would be to keep and carry on this legacy. Journalist and radio and television producer, Daniela has had different experiences, but then she went back to where her heart was. Because it is necessary to take the responsibility of living these places to safeguard their biodiversity and to ensure the continuity of ancient traditions, leading them towards the future.

Pastures of the producers currently involved

Petitjacque Donato (owner and tenant) – Alpe Plan Vauon – Bionaz (AO);
Cretier Aurelio (conductor) – Alpe By di Farinet – Ollomont (AO) – pasture owned by Daniela Fornaciarini;
Planaz Dino (conductor) – Alpe Cort – Chamois (AO) – pasture owned by the Municipality of Chamois;
Ducols Eliseo and Denis (owner and tenant) – Alpe Pra d’Arc – Saint Rhémy en Bosses (AO).