On June 29th, the sixth meeting of our project’s Community Forum was held online. As the title stated, “Enterprises and Territory: Social Responsibility Projects in Support of Habitats and Biodiversity,” the purpose of the webinar was to present social responsibility projects carried out by some companies operating in the agricultural sector and to demonstrate how they can play a key role in preserving local environment and biodiversity.

The meeting, organized by Legambiente national and moderated by Antonino Morabito, began with speeches from Andrea Sorbello and Laura Marchelli, representatives of Barilla and Mutti companies, respectively. Focusing on the theme of sustainable and high-quality food production, they showcased the interactive tools provided by Barilla for more conscious planning of field activities and the projects currently being undertaken by Mutti to renaturalize and requalify several hectares of land from an agro-ecological perspective.

Next, Stefano Calderoni, President of CIA Ferrara and President of the Consorzio di Bonifica Pianura di Ferrara, emphasized the importance of raising awareness in the agricultural sector regarding responsible water resource usage. This issue has become a priority due to the ongoing climatic and environmental changes in the Po Valley. Lastly, Mattia Tavaroli, the coordinator of the LIFE AgriCOlture project, presented the experience developed within the Tosco-Emilian Apennine National Park, which involves several local companies in sustainable land management.

The experiences shared during the meeting represented valuable examples of cooperation between enterprises and the territory, which the LIFE Perdix project aims to encourage in the Valle del Mezzano area. The survival of the Italian Partridge, reintroduced thanks to the project, will depend on the cooperation of the local community, which commits to responsibly managing its habitat through a code of conduct.

Highlights here: