FOOD AND THE BASIN

60 years ago much of the food eaten in Noto was produced in the Asinaro basin. There was a thriving local rural economy, rural areas were well populated, people cared for the land without need for subsidies. Organic farming produced healthy food and healthy communities; organic practices protected biodiversity and water sources; organic waste reduced pollution, returned nutrients to the soil and stored carbon...

With industrial farming, modern transport systems and supermarkets, local foods became less attractive and more expensive. Farmers moved to urban centres and a growing urban population lost touch with the nature on which they ultimately depended, with consequences for health and wellbeing.

Today, tourism and hospitality industries grow, but are they sustainable? Young people leave the region in increasing numbers, in search of opportunity and quality of life.