HEROIC AGRICULTURE, TOURISM AND WELLNESS: THE CHALLENGE IS STARTING FROM ISCHIA

Two days of study to turn the spotlights on the agriculture of the islands of the Gulf of Naples and on the virtuous relationship with tourism. The kermis “Ischia, the island of well-being”, organized by the Municipality of Ischia and Coldiretti Campania, was successfully concluded. The initiative opened on Thursday with the ribbon cutting of the Campagna Amica market at Ischia Ponte, which will be repeated on the same day of the week until October in the square of algae, with behind the Aragonese Castle.
Under the yellow gazebo the farmers of the island together with the colleagues of the mainland, representing the excellence of Campania. Thursday afternoon space to discuss the “States General of agriculture in the islands of the Campania archipelago”, with the participation of the mayor Enzo Ferrandino, the director of Coldiretti Campania Salvatore Loffreda, the regional councilor Francesco Emilio Borrelli and the mayor of Cetara Fortunato Della Monica, representing the Gal Terra Protetta. To host the debate the incomparable scenery of the Torre Guevara (also called Michelangelo or Sant’Anna), a fifteenth-century house-fortress, located in front of the Aragonese Castle with views of Procida, the Gulf of Naples, Vesuvius, Sorrento Peninsula and Capri .
Friday opened with the educational garden in the Renaissance Tower garden, which saw the participation of the Primary School pupils, led by the young of Coldiretti Ischia and by the students of the “Telese” Higher Institute, hotel and agrarian addresses. The latter is in danger of disappearing due to the collapse of registrations, which is why Director Loffreda has launched the availability of Coldiretti to finance two scholarships. At the same time, the conference was held to announce the imminent inscription of Ischia’s bagpipe bean in the national list of traditional agri-food products (PAT), also known as “flags of taste”. After many years the second award arrives on the island, together with the rabbit pit, thanks to the collaboration between the Municipality of Ischia and Coldiretti who have overseen the request of the Campania Region. To give scientific support to the nutritional value of the Ischia bean the interventions of Silvia D’Ambra, Slow Food fiduciary Ischia and Procida, of Professor Antonio Giordano, oncologist and director of the Sbarro Institute SHRO of Philadelphia, of ProfessorRocco De Prisco and of Professor Barbara Nicolaus of CNR, and by Franco Mattera, an historical agronomist from Ischia. On the sidelines of the conference the delivery of the casacche to the first two agrichef Campagna Amica of the island, Ciro Di Meglio (agritourism Giasole di Barano d’Ischia) and FrancescaNovelli (agriturismo Il Giardino Mediterraneo of Ischia), together with the special recognition “Loro di Ischia” for the biancolella Vigna del Lume 2017 of the Antonio Mazzella cellars, crowned at Vinitaly as the best white wine in Italy.
To close the two days the workshop “Well being zero km”, preceded by the presentation of the book “Il Gran Food” by Elisabetta Donadono. At the round table, coordinated by the journalist Pasquale Raicaldo, he spoke about Professor Gionata De Vico, professor at the Department of Biology of the Federico II University of Naples and scientific director of COTELI (consortium for the protection of Italian helixiculture), on the theme “Breeding snails : food and cosmetics in a small space “. Followed by the speeches by Antonio Fimiani, Health Director of Terme di Ischia, and by Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, scientific coordinator of the Campagna Amica Foundation. The final greetings were given to the president of Coldiretti Ischia Roberto Mattera, to the delegate of Coldiretti Giovani Impresa Napoli Domenico Sabatino, to the MEP Giusi Ferrandino and to the councilor Anna Maria Chiariello.
“The millenary history of the island starts from agriculture – declared the mayor Enzo Ferrandino – the main activity before the advent of tourism. A heroic agriculture like that of our winemakers who, in the past, have cultivated the steep slopes of a land that is complex for its geology and of those that, in recent times, have implemented courageous attempts to recover the agricultural identity. Fundamental today, for our territory, to rediscover the value of the earth and our products and make them known to the world “.
“In these two days – said the commissioner Anna Maria Chiariello – the protagonists were the land and farmers, men and women who in times
difficult, of global economic crisis, they managed to keep the boat, not to sink it, despite the stormy sea. Agriculture, economically and legally mortified sector by the European Union and by national and local politics, has stood the brunt and is, today, one of the lively sectors for
production, exports and job creation, the birth of new businesses, many of them created by young people, very young people who return to the earth “.

“Our proposal – underlined the director Loffreda – is to open a concrete comparison on the future of agriculture in the island of Ischia and in the islands of the Gulf. Without a joint and synergistic effort by the public administration, the trade associations and the school, we risk seeing a thousand-year tradition disappear, which is a defense of the territory, defense of biodiversity, economy and culture. You do not need great proclamations but so much common sense, taking care of an agriculture that in small spaces knows how to generate unique flavors in the world and can enhance multifunctionality and short supply chain “.