During the last week of June 2008, I had the opportunity to travel to Italy as part of a delegation from Iowa State University. Our group included Shelly Taylor and Joe Coletti from the College of Agriculture. We were hosted by the ISU College of Design-Rome program. The purpose of our trip was to make contact with Italian institutions and their representatives in hope that there can be increased future collaboration between Iowa State University and Italy.
Italy is a very interesting country. Its population of 50 million people reside in a geographically diverse region of Europe approximately the size of Arizona. Although the unified country we know as Italy is actually younger than the state of Iowa, the historical origins dating back to the time of ancient Greece are readily apparent. This dichotomy between old and new, classical and modern, provides a very attractive foundation upon which to explore.
Italy is well known for its designer clothes, fast cars, and numerous museums. Italy is also well known for its food. As an Iowa State University Extension representative, I was interested in exploring the similarities between Italian culture and food and my work with local food systems, local farmers, and communities.
Farmers Markets Abundant in Italy
Food in Italy is available from a number of sources. Although supermarkets do exist, most towns have regional “farmers markets” that are open each week selling a variety of fruits, vegetables, meats, breads, and cheese. In addition, a variety of staple items such as pasta and seasonings can also be found. Larger towns have markets that are open daily. Many of these markets are outside although some in larger cities such as Florence are housed in permanent buildings. Many of these market stalls are family owned and operated. It is not uncommon for residents to visit the market each day to pick up items for meals that day.
Italy is divided into 20 distinct regions with further division into 109 provinces. What is interesting about these divisions is the sense of identity and history held by the people who live there. In many cases regions are identified with specialized foods and products. What is even more interesting is the fact that many of these specialties have been legislated.
For example, parmigiano-reggiano cheese is not just a type of cheese. It is a certified name that represents a consortium of producers. It guarantees that any cheese called parmigiano-reggiano must be made in the areas of Parma, Reggio-Emilia, and Modena. The cows that produce the milk must be fed and cared for according to a strict set of rules for organic farming. The cheese must be produced, aged, inspected, and sold according to a similar code. By law, no other cheese may be called parmigiano-reggiano.
Likewise, prosciutto, also known as Parma ham, can only be produced in the areas surrounding Parma and once again, only under the strictest of controls. These protected designation of origin labels, known as DOP or DOC in Italian law, provide a name and an identity to these products. They are known around the world and are recognized as a sign of quality.
Agricultural Tourism Reflects Cultural Shift
Agricultural tourism, known as agriturismo, began in response to a perceived cultural crisis. Small-scale farming was becoming difficult. Farmers could no longer make a profit and were turning to work opportunities in larger towns. In response to this shifting away from traditional food production, the government created a law that allowed farmers to house, entertain, and serve food to guests as a way of augmenting their income. This in turn provided a new form of “resort” for vacationers. In some cases, guests can actually participate in agricultural activities such as cheese making.
We had the good fortune to visit three agriturismos during our time in Italy. Each was unique and provided a very different experience. Our first stop was at Azienda Agricola I Casalini, located just south of Florence. Maria and her husband had purchased a former grape (wine) and olive oil farm, renovated some of the outlying buildings, and were now primarily providing housing for visitors from all over Europe. During our brief time we met families from Germany and Sweden who were spending the week.
Our second stop was at the home of Silvio Toccafondi in the Chianti region of Tuscany. Sylvio, a well known local expert on wine, olive oil, and the Chianti region, had recently renovated a small barn, formerly housing pigs, into two very nice one bedroom apartments. We were his second overnight guests.
Our final stop was a much larger agritorismo, called Ciaolatte, located just outside of the city of Parma in Noceto. Ciaolatte is a family-run agriturismo consisting of a dairy farm with 120 holstein cows, a creamery producing six wheels of parmigiano-reggiano cheese per day, an eight guestroom “hotel”, a restaurant serving locally produced foods (many based on parmigiano cheese), and a small store selling local products. As part of our stay, we were able to follow the milk from milking parlor to copper kettle to cheese form. We also were able to visit the dairy farm and see their parlor.
Tradition, Identity, Family, Pride
Throughout our travels, it was apparent that tradition, identity, family, and pride are central to the way Italians approach food and food production. This was no more apparent than during our meeting with Giovanni Fabbri of Fabbri Pasta. Fabbri’s family has been making pasta for over 100 years. He uses an old but tested technique for making pasta that allows the gluten to survive and yet produces pasta that seems to be tolerated by those who have gluten intolerance with pasta produced using typical methods. Fabbri is in collaboration with the University of Florence to understand these results. In taste tests, the pasta is remarkable.
Likewise, we spent time with Lapo Mazzei, whose family has owned and operated the Castello de Fonterutoli winery for hundreds of years. His sense of history and love of the land and region was spellbinding. As President of Chianti Classico, he is instrumental in the definition of this most important place-based product.
Finally, a visit to Castellini, a small community in the Tuscan region of Chianti, showed how it is possible to come together around a common vision. At a time when farmers were struggling and moving away, town leaders recognized that agriculture was the essence of their community. The entire economy was being impacted by the downturn in agriculture. In response, historians, schools, and economic development leaders began a concerted effort to promote and support the history of local agriculture through education, arts, culture, and foods. In the words of the minister of culture, “You cannot know your future if you do not know your past.” They were working to tie their past to their present in order to create a more vibrant community and future.
With respect to food and food systems, a number of important lessons were learned from our hosts along the way. First, there has been collaboration between producers in order to create regulated standards such as parmigiano-reggiano cheese, Chianti classico wine, and prosciutto. This consortium approach (consorzio in Italian) has resulted in a strong sense of place-based foods which in turn provides consumers with a level of trust and insurance for food safety and quality.
Second, the policies that are in place have come from a “grass-roots” level centered around a consensus that promotes local agriculture. These policies are tied to the systems change desired by those who are most closely involved.
Third, Italians have developed a clear vision for the importance of agriculture, most especially the history of agriculture, as a part of their heritage. It is taught in the schools and passed down through family members. There is a very intentional focus to the relationship between place, food, and heritage.
In addition to these meetings, we also met with a number of representatives from academia or agriculture to ascertain whether there was opportunity for direct collaboration with the College of Agriculture. A brief description is given below. For more details, contact Shelly Taylor or Joe Colletti.
Michael Larinde, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, was very receptive to the idea of having Iowa State University students work on problems developed within their division.