Miguel A. Altieri and Clara I. Nicholls from the University of California (Berkeley, USA) were guests of the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences from April 28 to 30, where they delivered a series of seminars organized in collaboration with the Biodistretto Appennino Bolognese and local partners. The series, titled “Agroecology: Sustaining Food Production on a Planet in Polycrisis”, became an opportunity for exchange among international experts, students, local institutions, farmers, and citizens.
Over the three days, the two professors—internationally recognized among the leading experts in agroecology—explored topics such as the ecological impacts of industrial agriculture, biodiversity in agroecosystems, resilient farming systems, and the social value of sustainable food production.
The three-day initiative combined academic lectures with field-based discussions and practical experiences, attracting students, farmers, researchers, and citizens interested in sustainable agriculture and territorial regeneration. The high and active participation confirmed the growing interest in agroecology as a tangible response to climate change, biodiversity loss, and the fragility of current food systems.
One of the most significant moments of the initiative took place on April 29 at Monte Sole, Marzabotto, during the public seminar “Agroecology: A New Possibility at Monte Sole.” Hosted at “Il Poggiolo – Rifugio Re_Esistente,” the event brought together researchers, local administrators, cooperatives, and agricultural organizations to discuss how agroecological practices can help regenerate rural territories, protect landscapes, and create new opportunities for mountain communities. The choice of Monte Sole carried a strong symbolic meaning. The organizers recalled how this territory, marked by the massacre of hundreds of farming families in 1944, today represents a place where new models of living and producing can emerge through cooperation between agriculture, ecology, and local communities.
Alongside Altieri and Nicholls, the seminars included contributions from Lorenzo Negri of the University of Bologna, Carlo Murer of the Terre Bellunesi Biodistrict and Pascolando Cooperative, Maurizio Agostino of Rete Humus, and representatives of local institutions, including Luca Vignoli, Vice Mayor and Councillor for Agriculture of Marzabotto, and Tiberio Rabboni, President of the Emilia Orientale Parks Authority. Another important event took place on April 28 in San Lazzaro di Savena (Bologna province) with the public meeting “Common Good: The Social Value of Agroecology,” hosted at La Fattoria del Dono. The event highlighted agroecology not only as an agricultural approach, but also as a social and cultural project capable of strengthening local communities and promoting more sustainable relationships between people, food production, and the environment.
The initiative was made possible thanks to DISTAL’s “Departments of Excellence” funding.
