THE PROTECTION OF AGRICULTURAL DIVERSITY AND APULIAN RURAL HERITAGE IS AT THE CENTER OF THE VOLUME “BIOPATRIARCHS OF PUGLIA”. A BOOK THAT CELEBRATES THE TRADITION AND THE ROLE OF GUARDIAN FARMERS. EDITED BY ANNA MARIA CILARDI, LUIGI TROTTA AND PIETRO SANTAMARIA, AND PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF BARI “ALDO MORO”THE TEXT IS A TRIBUTE TO THE TRADITIONAL CROPS OF THE REGION, ENRICHED WITH ENCHANTING IMAGES THAT TELL STORIES OF PRODUCTS AND PEOPLE THAT PRESERVE THEIR MEMORY.
“Biopatriarchs of Puglia”: a book that goes beyond simple agricultural narration
Through images and stories of men and women who struggle to carry on the tradition, the volume is a I invite you to rediscover the importance of what the earth offers and gives us. A reflection on the importance of protecting and enhancing our agricultural heritage so that it represents a source of wealth for future generations too.
The biopatriarchs of the Earth
The term biopatriarchs it does not only refer to agricultural products, but above all to farmers, the custodians of tradition. These figures, as described by Pietro Santamariarepresent the intrinsic beauty of rural life.
«Beauty is in the eyes of these farmers; in the depths of their eyes, which scrutinize where to sow and how to cultivate. Their hands are beauty; their wrinkled face is beauty; their whole body is furrowed».
It is through these men and women that the stories of plants and seeds, often at risk of disappearing, are passed down from generation to generation.
The simple names protagonists of agricultural wisdom in Puglia
The biopatriarchs include growers of horticultural species, legumes, cereals, fruit trees, olive trees and vines. Simple, familiar names, like Angelina, Vito, Gaetano and Pasquale, who become the protagonists of a collective story made up of ancient agricultural wisdom, now threatened by the standardization of modern practices.
Inside the book, for example, the case of the White chicory from Tricasewhose production has been almost completely abandoned in favor of ready seedlings, putting not only the product quality but also the memory of traditional cultivation techniques.
Richness is found in diversity
Puglia is one of regions richer in agricultural biodiversity in Europe, and this diversity must be safeguarded. The volume highlights how the variety of Apulian crops is a pillar that must be enhanced and protected.
Donato Pentassugliaregional councilor for agriculture, underlines in the introduction to the book that innovation must go hand in hand with protection of biodiversity. «Agriculture must play its part in the European ‘Green Deal’, aiming for an inclusive and sustainable future, where biodiversity plays a key role in the success of the strategy».
A reflection that evokes the Tower of Babel
Scrolling through the pages of the book, an intriguing reflection emerges that recalls the history of Tower of Babel. In the biblical story, human beings agree, thanks to a single language, to build a tower that reaches the sky; their homogeneity, their uniformity, leads them to great undertakings, which are then stopped by a restless God (Behold, they are one people and they all have one language; this is the beginning of their work and now what they plan to do it will not be impossible for them to do – Genesis, chapter 11).
An implicit parallelism to arrive at the contrast of McDonaldization of agriculturewhere the tendency towards homologation risks losing the importance and value of uniqueness.
Source: Environment and More