Sustainability also has a social dimension and in agriculture this means that farms, other than simply cultivating the land, work to integrate marginalized groups. This was the theme of the conference, Good Goods, held on Wednesday, July 1 at Expo Milano 2015 as part of The Other Half of the Planet, the Women's Week at the Universal Exposition. Organized by Fondazione San Patrignano and Valore D, the event included speeches by Maurizio Martina (Italian Minister of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies), Letizia Moratti (former mayor of Milan), and representatives from various companies, the public sector and  nonprofits, both Italian and non-Italian.

Agriculture can create earning opportunities

 

"The social aspect is an evolution of agriculture," said Letizia Moratti, co-founder of Fondazione San Patrignano, referring to the experience of the Community in which the rehabilitation of addicts is carried out by working on the land and in food production. "The social farms correspond to a new model of sustainable development, thanks to their educational role and inclusion of those who find themselves in difficulty. Now that the gap is widening between the welfare offered by governments and demand, the gap must be filled with different modes for inclusion: the social farms are an extraordinary example of the evolution of the welfare model".

A national plan for social farms

 

Speaking about Minister Martina, Letizia Moratti complimented him on his proposal for a law that recognizes and regulates this sector, now being considered by the Senate. "The coexistence of the social dimension, the economic factor and the re-launch of the business is now considered to be a successful model”, said Martina. “A farm business managed by a woman is much more multi-functional than when being run by a man. If we can develop and strengthen it, this is not a policy about gender but is a strategic policy, as is social farming as a whole."

Italian social agriculture, a model for cooperation

 

The Italian experience in social agriculture is well established, constituting an example of a cutting-edge approach at both a European and international level. Martina therefore hoped that the Universal Exposition can be an opportunity to propose it in the context of cooperation: "The theme of social farming can become extraordinary grounds for cooperation, and solidarity”, said Martina. “Exporting the Italian experience in this area would provide an excellent model for agricultural cooperation. One of the legacies of Expo Milano 2015 can be viewed in this way”.