Italy is a blend of nature and cultural beauty that is the envy of the entire world: the richness of its landscape and the environmental value we preserve are revealed in the significant heritage of green parks and protected areas, but above all in the variety and richness of its agri-food products . Italy is, in fact, the European country with the largest number of agri-food products with designations of origin and geographical indications recognized by the European Union: a range that boasts 326 agri-food products and 529 quality wines with Geographical Indication is a strong and clear signal of how our agricultural system is a true “basin of biodiversity” .
This is all thanks to the importance we have always placed on agriculture and the sustainability of the region, a reality that connects nature, landscape, and agricultural, forestry, and pastoral activities with the resulting quality local products. These products are precisely what attract and add value to the region: further proof of the exceptional quality of our products, but above all of the strong bond that ties Italy’s excellent agri-food products to their homeland.
Biodiversity is the lifeblood of our Earth, an intricate web of life that embraces and sustains every aspect of our ecosystem. The loss of biodiversity always translates into a loss of wealth because, along with local species and varieties, the landscapes, products, and cultures associated with them disappear.
Agricultural biodiversity, or agrobiodiversity , refers to the entire wealth of plant, animal, and microbial genetic resources formed through biological mechanisms and natural selection over the long periods of evolution. These resources have been accumulated since the dawn of agriculture, approximately 10,000 years ago, by generations of farmers and breeders who domesticated, selected, and transferred from diverse geographical areas all the species from which to obtain products useful to humans.
The presence of agricultural biodiversity produces a flow of goods and services based on the concept of “ genetic resource ,” that is, the heritage of a species or subspecific entity (breed, ecotype, cultivar, local variety, etc.) that has actual or potential value for food and agriculture.
Thanks also to the human “know-how” that has developed and been preserved over time, existing agricultural biodiversity has shaped landscapes and territories resulting from the heritage of knowledge of local communities that have safeguarded native genetic resources, handing down cultivation/breeding techniques over time: this value is expressly present in the International Regulations on Biodiversity.
The value of marks of origin is very clear in the French concept of Terroir , which in technical terms is a combination of human and natural factors that, over hundreds of years and from generation to generation, have determined the qualities and properties of the soil and landscape of a certain place, characteristics that contribute to making a certain product unique. In European legislation, PDO and PGI marks clearly recognize a connection between the finished product, production processes, and territory of origin: they They are a necessary tool for the cultural protection and enhancement of territories, as well as biological diversity, as they support the local production system and economy. They protect the environment, because the inextricable bond with the land of origin requires the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity. They support the social cohesion of the entire community.
In this context , Genoese Basil DOP , the only certified vegetable product from Liguria and an undisputed symbol of the territory, represents a garrison that is important to protect and maintain to ensure that the typical characteristics expressed in traditional cultivation conditions (guaranteed by the Regulations ) are maintained over time, avoiding genetic impoverishment in the future.
With this aim, today the Consortium for the Protection of Genoese Basil DOP is participating in a project to recover and characterise eight original basil varieties from which the varieties used today descend: the project is called Old Basil and is being carried out with Cersaa and Coldiretti Genova and the companies Azienda Agricola Casotti Azienda Agricola di Ratto Francesco Le Serre sul Mare Ferrari and Bruzzone , in collaboration with the University of Genoa – DISTAV and with the support of the Liguria Region .
Project supported by the Liguria Region [ Rural Development Programme 2014/22 – European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas. Liguria RDP Managing Authority: Liguria Region – Agricultural and Fisheries Policies Sector – politiche.agricole@regione.liguria.it – www.agriligurianet.it
