Luca Pereno The business economy must be rooted in the territory to create lasting value, moving beyond short-term speculation to valorize the social capital, culture and hidden labor that are essential for community resilience and prosperity.
Roots as a model of stability and economic growth
Roots perform a dual essential function for the plant: on the one hand, they ensure stability and anchoring to the soil, protecting it from external stresses; on the other, they provide the vital absorption of water and nutrients essential for growth.
Consequently, the health of the root system is directly proportional to the vitality, resilience, and longevity of the entire plant, representing the solid foundation essential for facing any adversity.
Economy and Territory: Creating Real Value Beyond Immediate Profit
The economic system of our companies should also be a process deeply “ rooted ” in the territory in which it operates, conceived not as an abstract entity, but as an integral and responsible part of the local ecosystem.
This economy must be structurally oriented toward the creation of real, tangible, and lasting value not only for shareholders, but primarily for the people, workers, and communities that host and sustain it. This vision stands in clear and conscious opposition to financial models that have become excessively speculative, volatile, and disconnected from the productive economy and concrete social needs.
Such models, often focused on short-term gain and the maximization of immediate profit, tend to generate financial bubbles and inequalities, impoverishing the basic socioeconomic fabric.
Social capital, culture, and skills: the roots of the local economy
The metaphorical "root" of a local economy goes far beyond the simple sum of production factors or the accounting records of businesses. It is defined as the layered and profound, often invisible or underappreciated, set of vital elements: shared values, the fabric of social relationships and trust (social capital), the historical richness of the territory, artisanal skills passed down from generation to generation, and the intrinsic natural resources that anchor a production system to a specific territory. This root is not merely a static element; it is the dynamic force that transforms a simple geographical area into a living, vibrant economic community with its own unmistakable identity. It not only ensures economic stability in the face of global turbulence, but also lends a distinctive identity to local products and services, generating a "rootedness" that transcends the physical presence of company facilities.
Last but not least, and this is crucial, the root, in its metaphorical meaning, perfectly represents the hidden , invisible yet essential work that sustains every visible structure, growth, or result. Just as the roots of a plant work incessantly underground—far from view, applause, and immediate evaluation—so a vast array of underground labor (be it quality education, critical thinking and creativity, landscaping and relationships) provides the strength , stability , and resilience necessary for the entire economic ecosystem. The roots are invisible, yet they support and nourish the entire tree; similarly, educational work, basic research, slow innovation , and the forging of community bonds often operate far from the spotlight and short-term profit metrics, yet they are the essential foundation of all visible success and innovation.
In the metaphor of thought, the root indicates the methodological necessity of delving deeper—of engaging in profound and systemic analysis—to understand the underlying dynamics. It suggests the importance of not fearing, but rather integrating, conflict (of ideas, interests, methods) as a driving and generative force for change and adaptation, just as the roots of a plant stubbornly make their way through soil, rocks, and obstacles to find nourishment.
Hidden Work: The Invisible Value That Supports Businesses
This raises a fundamental question for our productive realities: are we sure that our companies and our economic systems are able to adequately recognize, measure, and value this hidden work? This work, from a traditional accounting perspective, does not generate direct and immediate monetary value, but is unquestionably essential to everything that ultimately generates value, profit, and well-being . It is a kind of preparatory work , invisible maintenance, and cultural sowing that constitutes the true humus of lasting prosperity. Ignoring or impoverishing this root is equivalent to cutting off the vital support for all future development.
Businesses and communities: the reciprocity that generates prosperity
A truly local presence requires us to conceive of the company as an organism capable of simultaneously giving back and nourishing itself, transcending the logic of simple image promotion. In perfect analogy with natural processes, a virtuous reciprocity is thus triggered : local communities are regenerated through the contribution of businesses, which share not only financial resources, but above all an invisible heritage of cultural values and social ties.
Just as a plant cannot thrive or sustain itself without the earth that supports it, our businesses cannot survive or produce real, lasting value without deep and conscious roots in the surrounding territory.