Adnkronos Rome, 2 Dec. (Adnkronos) – The Davines Group, a company active in the professional cosmetics sector with the Davines haircare and Comfort Zone skincare brands, certified B Corp since 2016, in collaboration with the Fondazione per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile, a research center on the green economy in Italy, today awarded the winners of the first edition of 'The Good Farmer Award' at the Davines Group Village in Parma, an initiative dedicated to young farmers under 35 who have already started projects inspired by the fundamental principles of agroecology and regenerative organic agriculture.
Through the award, the Davines Group wants to contribute to the diffusion of a new culture of agricultural production that supports the ecological transition and has decided to do so by supporting young farmers with the assignment of two prizes worth 10 thousand euros each that will be used by the two winners for the purchase of material and for interventions aimed at improving and developing the agroecological practices already underway. The two winners of the first edition of 'The Good Farmer Award' - Marta Galimberti (Cascina Bagaggera) and Filippo Laguzzi (Ram Radici in Moncalieri) - were selected by the Award's judging committee, composed of six members including university professors and experts in agriculture, agroecology and sustainability, including the president of the jury Edo Ronchi.
Marta Galimberti, born in 92, runs the organic farm Cascina Bagaggera, located in the heart of the Montevecchia Regional Park and the Curone Valley, in the Brianza Lecchese area, founded in 1995, thanks to Marta's parents. Since 2017, she has been working to make the Cascina an economically sustainable company. Today Cascina Bagaggera owns 25 hectares, a farmhouse with a B&B and a shop for company products. Bagaggera adopts various practices inspired by the fundamental principles of agroecology and regenerative organic agriculture, including the use of organic fertilizers, minimal soil movement and careful use of water resources, collected in tanks. Cascina Bagaggera also stands out as a social farm for orientation and job training projects for young people with disabilities, areas in which it operates in collaboration with the Corimbo Onlus Association. Marta strongly believes in the value of education for future generations and this is why in 2020 the first educational farm project, the agrinido, was born, and subsequently in 2022 a summer center was inaugurated to offer children a summer in close contact with nature.
Filippo Laguzzi, born in 91, is one of the founders of the Ram Radici farm in Moncalieri and is the second farmer selected by the Jury of 'The Good Farmer Award'. Ram, located on the outskirts of Turin, was founded in 2017 by Filippo's interest in beer production. Today it is a farm run by seven partners and extends over an area of 20 hectares, cultivating the fields according to the principles of agroecology, regenerative organic agriculture and the circular economy. In addition to operating in agricultural production, Ram Radici in Moncalieri is an agritourism, a social and educational farm and since 2018 it has also been accredited as a certified education center that offers initiatives for all ages, with the aim of raising awareness on the issues of sustainability and conscious consumption to develop a true ecological conscience.
For more than 20 years, the Davines Group has integrated sustainability and commitment to the environment into its business model by embarking on a path of regenerative growth. In the spirit of preserving biodiversity and researching new ingredients of natural origin for the formulation of its products, in 2021 the Davines Group founded the European Regenerative Organic Center (Eroc) in partnership with the Rodale Institute, the first training and research center in Italy and Europe in the field of regenerative organic agriculture, which occupies a 17-hectare site adjacent to the Davines Group Village, in Parma. In 2024, Eroc obtained the Roc – Regenerative Organic Certified certification, a certification for foods, textile fibers and personal care ingredients, issued only if compliance with requirements including soil health, animal welfare and social equity is demonstrated.
“Three years ago we created Eroc and this year an award dedicated to young farmers who adopt practices that respect the soil, biodiversity and communities. We received many applications, with important and valuable projects. We believe that the stories of the two winners, Marta and Filippo, in addition to being innovative and courageous, can also be a great inspiration for their peers and to support the ecological transition of agricultural and food supply chains. We at Davines Group want to help propagate and develop agroecological agricultural practices such as those of Cascina Bagaggera and Ram Radici in Moncalieri. A goal that we are pursuing with Eroc and that this year has allowed us to support 17 agricultural companies in the process to obtain Roc certification”, commented Davide Bollati, president of the Davines Group.
“Italian agriculture is facing a difficult challenge. The negative effects of climate change, floods and prolonged periods of drought in 2023 have caused significant damage to major national productions, the loss of soil fertility, the increase in the cost of energy and raw materials require an acceleration in the ecological transition of the sector. We need to reduce the use of intensive agricultural models, which lead to the loss of biodiversity, excessive consumption of resources and high greenhouse gas emissions, and increase the use of agroecology practices and principles. This is the right way to improve agroecosystems, produce healthy, quality food and ensure the resilience of farms. We are happy that the Davines Group is responsibly promoting this new development model and supporting the growth of a new generation of farmers. It is a model to be followed by other companies too”, underlined Edo Ronchi, president of the Foundation for Sustainable Development
