We all need agriculture: let’s give it space

Villa Ponti was full, with a great number of authorities present at the 64th general meeting of the provincial branch of the farming confederation, Confagricoltura, which took place today, in Varese.

The people present included the new National Secretary, Mario Guidi, in his first appearance  in a provincial assembly, after his election on 31 March.

After the part reserved for the members, the meeting was opened to the public for the report by the provincial secretary, Pasquale Gervasini (see photo), who analysed the state of health of farming in Varese Province, and its divisions. Many topics were presented, but there was only one concern for all of them. “The issue of land is at the centre of our attention,” Gervasini said. “The province covers an area of 1200 km², but only 140 km² is used for farming; we have 550 km² of woodland, and the rest is non-productive because it’s been built on.” In the 1980s, the area of land in the province used for farming was 325 km²; the reduction is shocking. This is clearly the main problem that farmers have with land, the progressive and fast loss of farmland. And without land, there is no farming.”

During the public part of the meeting, a round table discussion on the multifunctional nature of farms was also organised, chaired by the director of the regional news programme of the state television company, RAI, Alessandro Casarin.