Biodiversity: How much do we know?
GAL Langhe Roero Leader and the Municipality of Alba have launched an online questionnaire to investigate the level of awareness on the topic and prepare appropriate development policies
Does biodiversity have anything to do with our daily diet? Is a diet that's good for our health also good for the environment and the local economy? What is the basis of an agricultural model capable of preserving biodiversity? Why is it important to protect native plant varieties and breeds?
These are just some of the questions included in the online questionnaire launched by the GAL Langhe Roero Leader and the Municipality of Alba to explore citizens' and businesses' level of familiarity with the term "biodiversity" and related issues.
Biodiversità Stellata/Biodiversité Étoilée project , part of the Interreg VA Italy-France Alcotra cross-border cooperation programme for the period 2014/2020. The partnership is led by the City of Alba, the lead municipality, which has brought together in the partnership, in addition to the LAG, the municipalities of Cogne (Aosta Valley), Bourget-du-Lac and La Motte-Servolex (on the French side), all tourist destinations characterised by two common elements: the landscape of the area (the UNESCO wine-growing hills for the City of Alba and the LAG, the lake for Bourget-du-Lac and La Motte-Servolex, the protected mountain of the Gran Paradiso Massif for Cogne) and the presence of Michelin-starred restaurants that are particularly attentive to the quality, seasonality and provenance of their products.
While the project as a whole stems from a desire to focus attention on the complex relationship between biodiversity, health, and nutrition, the questionnaire, drafted in Italian and French with the valuable collaboration of Slow Food Italy , can be a valuable tool in exploring cross-border awareness of the topic of "agri-food biodiversity," encouraging a paradigm shift in local communities: from protecting and respecting the land to defending and preserving biodiversity as an enabler of quality of life.
"We know that 'biodiversity on the plate' is the result of a multitude of interconnected factors and represents the culmination of multiple steps involving the entire agri-food supply chain," explains Carlo Rosso , President of the GAL Langhe Roero Leader . "This is why the survey was deliberately targeted at everyone who 'inhabits' the partners' territories, at multiple levels and in various capacities: from producers to farmers, from processors to retailers, from restaurateurs to tourists and final consumers/purchasers. The findings collected can help us promote targeted actions aimed at raising awareness on the topic, also with a view to developing future local development policies, in line with the priority objectives and goals that the European Union has set for the coming years."
At a time when many are reiterating the importance of restoring the balance between the impact of human activities and nature for the protection of the planet, the survey also aims to contribute to increasing knowledge on a sensitive concept like biodiversity, providing important food for thought on a topic that—consciously or unconsciously—inevitably permeates all of our lives. The aim is to raise awareness among people of more conscious behavior.
" Alba and the rural areas of Langhe and Roero are closely interdependent, providing mutual services, especially ecosystem services, that are essential for the well-being of their inhabitants, " comments Emanuele Bolla, Councilor for Tourism for the City of Alba. " The balanced presence of woods and historic rural landscapes, the use of sustainable cultivation methods, and the preservation of local agricultural varieties and breeds represent a value worthy of protection. Their positive effects impact the entire area, benefiting the well-being of the Langhe and Roero residents, quality tourism in terms of both food and wine and landscape, and ultimately, the local economy as a whole ."
The questionnaire remained online until the end of October 2022. The data was then analyzed by Slow Food Italy and released in aggregate form through the document “ Biodiversity in Bits and Pieces ” which can be downloaded below.
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