Quality and ecological awareness are defining characteristics of regional produce, epitomised by Turin’s Salone del Gusto
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50 years ago, almost half of Italy’s workforce was engaged in agriculture
– now the figure is around three per cent. But this is deceptive,
as food production and processing, as well as viticulture, are still
enormously important for the Italian way of life, even in a region as
industrialised as Piedmont.
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“Historically,
we were among the first regions in Italy to industrialise,” says
Ugo Cavallera, the regional
minister for the environment, agriculture and quality, hunting and fishing,
energy, water resources and parks. “But we were also among the
first to experience de-industrialisation and the modernisation of the
production system. We were obliged to diversify, including towards hi-tech.
And we were among the first to face the problem of recovering abandoned
industrial sites and polluted areas.”
This experience helped drive home to the regional authorities the importance
of eco-awareness, which can now also be seen at the heart of the region’s
agricultural and food processing strategy.
“The title of my department is no coincidence,” explains Mr
Cavallera. “In recent years, we have chosen to focus on quality
in agriculture, because we are convinced that the new customer orientation
is to demand higher levels of safety and quality in food.”
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| Taking it easy: Slow Food is a growing movement dedicated to the pleasures of nutrition |
Piedmont’s
Rural Development Plan for 2002-2006 places particular emphasis on the
development of agriculture in harmony with the environment, favouring
traditional and organic methods of cultivation and breeding, and stressing
the health of livestock. At the same time, localised produce, subject
to strict certification measures, has been promoted.
The regional authorities recognise the use of all this in boosting Piedmont’s
attraction to visitors. “Diversification is now focused on tourism,
on gastronomy and on wine,” says Mr Cavallera.
Moreover,
Turin now hosts one of the biggest, and certainly one of the best, food
fairs in the world – the Salone del Gusto, held in the Lingotto
exhibition centre. The most recent fair, in October this year, attracted
exhibitors and visitors from around the world, and trumpeted the values
of local produce and varieties.
A driving force behind the Salone is a non-governmental organisation
called Slow Food, which has its international headquarters in Bra, in
the province of Cuneo. Slow Food works to counter what it sees as the
degrading effect of the industrial and fast food culture, which is standardising
taste. It also promotes the benefits of choosing locally-grown and indigenous
foods.
Much
of the original inspiration for Slow Food comes from the ideas of Fritz
Shumacher, author of Small Is Beautiful, but Carlo Petrini, the organisation's
founder-president, can take much of the credit for building it up into
a significant force, not only in Italy, but around the world, with more
than 600 branches.
“The Food and Agriculture Organisation recognises Slow Food as
a valuable partner,” Mr Petrini says. “We have to provide
food, to avoid hunger. But we also have to provide pleasure: health,
knowledge and pleasure go hand-in-hand. And pleasure is eating moderately
– not a lot – and, above all, respecting each region’s
food sources.
“We believe that here in the West, we can maintain a new kind of
agriculture, based on individual activity, producing quality, and providing
a direct relationship with the customer.”
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