Frutti per la Biosfera – Fruits for the Biosphere

Project

The project focusses on educating children through hands-on activities such as gardening projects and visits to farms. It also supports the direct sale of crops by organising farmers’ markets and farm-gate sales. To ensure quality and promote environmentally friendly and diverse agriculture, criteria are currently being developed to establish a regional brand.

The project gets young volunteers from (Eastern) European countries involved in all the activities, and the skills they learn can later be passed on in their home countries.

Background

At present, very little environmental education is provided in Sicily, and there is limited awareness of the link between food and climate change. However, the Etna region is already suffering from effects of climate change, such as extreme weather and desertification.

Etna’s agriculture, which is highly diverse, provides the population with a good variety of fresh products. Unfortunately, more and more people are buying non-regional and processed foods. The project aims to counteract this development and strengthen traditional organic and smallholder farming.

“Frutti per la Bioshere” will also have a positive impact on the current planning activities for the establishment of a nature conservation area at Etna.