Challenging the Mainstream: Italy’s Food and Farming Movement Beyond Agroecology

Foodthink Says

Globally, a growing number of scholars, policymakers, and practitioners are championing and adopting the concept of “agroecology”. While this term may still feel somewhat unfamiliar in Chinese-speaking contexts, it is frequently translated as “ecological farming”. Yet “ecological farming” falls far short of capturing the rich, multifaceted nature of agroecology, which seamlessly integrates science, practical application, and social activism.

In what context did agroecology emerge? How has it evolved over time? And which communities across Italy are putting agroecology into practice? On 18 July, Chiara Bartoletti (Mujiale), a doctoral researcher at the University of Venice, shared her firsthand involvement and observations of the agroecology movement with Foodthink. This article has been compiled from her presentation.

I. From the Green Revolution to Agroecology

In the 1940s, the renowned agronomist Norman Borlaug（Norman Borlaug）developed a high-yielding, disease-resistant semi-dwarf wheat in Mexico by crossbreeding North American and Japanese varieties. Over the following three decades, the dwarf wheat strains he bred spread across the globe.

In 1968, when William Gaud of the United States Agency for International Development first coined the term “Green Revolution”, dwarf wheat became a symbol of anti-hunger humanitarianism, and technological advancement was cast as a universal voice for pacifism. Two years later, Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his scientific contributions.

◉ 1971 coverage of Borlaug in a local US newspaper. Image source: Minneapolis Sunday Tribune

There is no denying that high-yielding wheat varieties bred for intensive farming helped many people escape hunger. At the same time, however, the implementation of the Green Revolution in Latin America, India, and elsewhere took a heavy toll on local social and ecological environments.

The main beneficiaries of intensive production were multinational corporations and large landowners. As export-oriented structures displaced smallholder farming, many growers lost not only the land that served as their basic means of subsistence but also traditional local farming knowledge.

Monoculture planting also threatened local ecological balance. The high yields of hybrid varieties typically required heavy use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. On the one hand, these high input costs exacerbated the competitive disadvantage faced by smallholders and widened social inequality; on the other, they significantly depleted soil organic matter and damaged diverse farmland ecosystems.

As agricultural production grew increasingly unsustainable, the importance of agroecology came into sharp focus.

In the 1930s, Russian agronomist Bensin first proposed the concept of agroecology. Whereas traditional agronomy focuses primarily on the crops themselves, agroecology emphasises a systemic research approach: by emulating natural ecosystems, it strives to establish farming systems that safeguard soil health and biodiversity while maintaining crop yields. Its methods include long-term observation and measurement of local ecosystems, using cover crops to manage and control pests and diseases, and designing integrated, circular farming systems that combine crop cultivation with livestock rearing.

◉In the 1980s, American scientist Altieri further developed agroecology.

Agricultural technology is inextricably linked to the political and economic frameworks in which it operates. The transformation of the global food system has not only highlighted the scientific significance of agroecology but also established its social foundations.

At the time, researchers began questioning whom their work was actually serving. Driven by a desire to ground knowledge within communities, this ethos in agroecological practice meant reducing external inputs and maximising the use of local resources and farming techniques already at hand.

A prime example is the “Three Sisters” intercropping system practised by Indigenous peoples of the Americas. The three crops work in synergy: maize acts as a natural trellis, legumes fix nitrogen in the soil, and the sprawling vines of pumpkin or squash shade the ground to preserve moisture. This approach bears a striking resemblance to traditional Chinese farming systems such as rice-fish co-culture and mulberry-dike fish-ponds. Both demonstrate that blending time-honoured local wisdom with modern scientific approaches is essential for delivering practical benefits to communities and the environment alike.

◉Smallholder farmers in Aohan, Inner Mongolia, and Shitoucheng, Yunnan, also practise their own version of the “Three Sisters” system. Photograph: Foodthink.

The environmental movement, which gained momentum in the 1960s, further propelled the development of agroecology.

In 1962, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring raised public awareness of the drawbacks of modern agricultural technology. Until then, the hazards chemical pesticides posed to the environment and human health were barely recognised.

Championed by Carson, alongside other scholars, campaigners, and civil society, US authorities also responded. In 1970, the United States established the Environmental Protection Agency, and in 1972 formally banned the use of the highly toxic pesticide DDT.

II. Italy’s Agroecology Movement

In European countries grappling with similar challenges, the agroecology movement has also found resonance, notably in Italy.

Italian farms are predominantly family-run, lacking the competitive edge of intensive operations in global markets, with agricultural incomes trailing those in other sectors by 30%. In areas marked by rural depopulation and the decline of traditional farming, the political dimension of the agroecology movement is particularly pronounced.

Next, I would like to share a few agroecological practices I have observed in Italy.

Commons

Mondeggi

Mondeggi is situated in the suburbs, 12 kilometres from Florence city centre. Once an aristocratic estate, it was acquired by the provincial government in the 1960s. Over the following four decades, the farm focused mainly on monocultures such as grapes, olives, and wheat.

After the managing company went bankrupt in 2009, the government attempted to transfer the land to private firms, sparking resistance from local residents. From 2011 onwards, inhabitants of the surrounding area began occupying the land, formally establishing Mondeggi bene comune (Mondeggi as a Common Good) in 2014.

◉ Mondeggi is situated on the outskirts of Florence, in central Italy.

Spanning 120 hectares, with 73 hectares of arable land, the farm is collectively managed by over 450 members and volunteers. Grounded in ecological restoration and social movement principles, they resist the encroachment of monoculture farming and corporate agribusiness on rural villages.

Years of intensive farming had depleted the soil, leaving it barren, overrun by invasive species and devoid of biodiversity. Mondeggi’s members have applied agroecological principles to restore the land. They established a community hub to jointly tend over 5,000 olive trees and more than 20 vegetable plots, directly harvesting the yields of their own labour.

Furthermore, Mondeggi practises crop rotation with cereals, legumes, and forage crops, cultivates ancient wheat varieties rich in genetic diversity, and has integrated livestock rearing and beekeeping.

To access mainstream markets, producers are typically forced to suppress land and labour costs. At Mondeggi, however, the land is held in common and members contribute voluntary labour, drastically reducing operational overheads and allowing agroecological practices to take root and flourish.

◉ Mondeggi makes decisions through participatory democratic assemblies.

Mondeggi holds regular general assemblies to foster democratic discussion and facilitate technical exchanges aimed at improving cultivation methods. Their slogan, “Mondeggi Commons: a farm without bosses,” perfectly embodies the diversity of agricultural practice.

Farmers and newcomers seeking practical skills can attend the biennial Mondeggi Farmer School, which offers free, multi-month courses in beekeeping, woodworking, and more. Since last year, the school has also introduced theoretical modules under the banner “Cultivating Gaia,” covering agroecology, political philosophy, sustainable farming practices, food sovereignty, and care practices focused on public affairs and collective action.

◉ The Farmer School organised by Mondeggi.

As policies and markets tilted heavily in favour of large-scale farming, the Mondeggi commons fostered a diversified agroecological model, countering corporate land concessions through alternative tenure arrangements and active citizen participation.

Independent Organic Farmers’ Community (Campi Aperti)

Campi Aperti

Campi Aperti is an organic farmers’ market founded by a student collective. It is dedicated to promoting organic, local, and non-industrialised agroecology, championing food sovereignty, and safeguarding the interests of smallholder farmers.

Participants in Campi Aperti share a commitment to the solidarity economy. Rather than relying on official certification schemes, they use Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS), visiting farms directly to rebuild trust between consumers and producers.

◉ The Campi Aperti organic farmers’ market. Image credit: Asia Giannelli, ZERO Magazine

Shoppers at the market quickly see that, compared to the conventional produce of large agribusinesses, food grown by organic smallholders is fairer to both the environment and workers. They eschew synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, avoid exploiting cheap labour, and prioritise seasonal, locally adapted production.

Those involved in Campi Aperti are far more than mere market traders and shoppers; they are producers and consumers who care deeply about the food system and consciously strive to protect nature and their local communities. Through this economy of mutual trust, Campi Aperti has spent the past two decades building an alternative to the mainstream industrial food system, offering a direct challenge to the status quo.

Because the participating farmers lacked production licences for their homemade processed goods—such as jams and breads—Campi Aperti could no longer hold its markets in city squares. Seizing this as an opportunity, the organisers launched Genuino Clandestino (meaning “genuine clandestine”) in 2010, an independent certification scheme designed to bypass the red tape and prohibitive costs of official bodies.

◉ A farmer exchange event hosted by Genuino Clandestino.

The organisers believe it is profoundly unfair for government authorities to subject small-scale produce to the same production processes and standards demanded of industrial food. Smallholders simply lack the capital to invest in compliance, and their operations do not carry the inherent risks associated with industrial processing assembly lines.

Genuino Clandestino took the values of Campi Aperti across Italy, gradually weaving together a radical network of food sovereignty communities.

Within this community, farmers are neither passive members of a “lower social stratum” nor large-scale capitalist landowners; they are citizens who find both faith and social worth in agroecology. Each year, Genuino Clandestino convenes smallholders from across Italy for an annual gathering to review the organisation’s progress and chart its future. Their aim is to broaden participation in the food sovereignty movement, launching new farmers’ markets in different towns and hosting events for farmer exchanges and seed swaps.

Beyond these two grassroots initiatives, others have sought to transform the existing food and farming system from different angles. Terra! (Earth!) advances agroecology through research and policy advocacy, framed firmly within social justice. Cambiare il campo (Change the Field) brings together farmers, social activists, academics, and rural residents to explore the possibilities of alternative food systems.

These examples vividly illustrate how the interconnectedness of plants, animals, and the environment—so central to agroecology—extends far beyond agronomy and reaches directly into the social sphere.

Those involved in the agroecology movement believe that farmers, consumers, and nature itself—which cannot speak for itself—are all failed by the mainstream food system. Consumers and producers must stand together, drawing on a shared belief in a better future to resist unjust agricultural policies and power structures.

Unless otherwise stated, all images are from the guest speaker’s presentation slides.

Compiled and edited by: Jieni, Zeen