San Paolo Civitate, October 19 (askanews) – The Posta Faugno farm hosted the NaturaSì Agrifestival, opening its gates to the public to discuss organic farming and wheat. Guided tours of the fields, children's workshops, talks, music, and tastings were offered, including the participation of actress and comedian Teresa Mannino. The Niro family has been organically farming about 100 hectares for three generations: grapes, olives, vegetables, legumes, and durum wheat.
A company that protects the planet and works on biodiversity and pollinator protection. We asked Luca Niro, the company's owner, what it means to grow wheat in Capitanata today and what impact such an initiative could have on agriculture: "It's crucial that consumers have access to food, not just financially, but practically.
It must understand where the food, the vegetables, comes from, and then give them an identity that isn't necessarily provided by the label but by the farmer himself. Our duty is to give consumers the opportunity to know what they're going to eat and touch it firsthand. In my opinion, this aspect is worthless." But behind the holiday lies a serious issue that's been in the news these days.
In fact, it is precisely in the southern regions that the farmers' protests began, increasingly forced to close their farms because they can't cover production costs. In August, at the height of the harvest, organic soft wheat was worth 33 cents per kilo on the Bologna Stock Exchange, while conventional wheat was just 22. This low price doesn't even cover production costs and is leading to the closure of many farms. This is why NaturaSì has relaunched the "20 cents today for bread tomorrow" campaign here, among the fields of Capitanata. Fabio Brescacin, president of NaturaSì, explained why his company wanted to bring the campaign to Puglia: "Every consumer with their money, whether a little or a lot, can make a difference. With a conscious purchase, you can make a difference. We are trying to create a campaign that is as cultural as possible: we believe people are increasingly aware, and we believe we have consumers who are conscious of what they eat every day." The 20 cents per kilo contribution requested from customers is in addition to what NaturaSì already pays its farmers above the market price: 7 to 12 cents more per kilo for soft and durum wheat. In total, farmers will be able to receive 60% more than the official prices. This increase makes the difference between closure and the prospect of a future.
Askanews