City of Turin, one of the twelve FUSILLI Living Labs, through the third part Orti Generali, a Social Promotion Association with an agricultural vocation, is located in a city river park in the suburb of Mirafiori sud, has launched “Gran Galà”, a first strategic intervention aimed to the active involvement of citizens in the local food system transformation processes. On 25 September, the “Agri-Art Contest” took place in Turin to raise awareness and involve citizens in the local food systems transformation processes.
The activity, carried out by Orti Generali, in collaboration with the FUSILLI project partner – Foundation of the Community of Mirafiori Onlus (FCM), and other entities and associations operating in the area, has been one of the planned actions aimed at stimulating and consolidating the sense of belonging to a community network established on principles of sharing knowledge and forms of learning, useful for facing future food challenges according to an innovative, sustainable, inclusive and supportive development model.
The Orti Generali Team was welcoming Turino’s citizens. Credits: City of Turin
The program of the event, structured on the interaction of different activities, mainly consisted of the enhancement of the heritage and food memories of the neighbourhood, raising awareness to specific “Agri-Art Contests”, included a fundraising activity supporting the arrival and welcoming of two new “guests” on the Orti Generali farm: two specimens of Highlander cow, a Scottish breed with peculiarities that meet the sustainability and circularity criteria promoted by the FUSILLI project. More in detail, the specimens that live in the wild and also feed on weeds, will help to keeping the park cared for in an eco-sustainable way, will strengthen the educational offer for park visitors.
Gran Galà poster. Credits: City of Turin
The event took place in the evening with a dinner made with product from the greengrocers of Orti Generali who handle a cultivation lot. All the participants, in addition to tasting the food, were asked to vote for the most popular dish, the most beautiful vegetable garden and the dress that suited best the theme of the event.
The evening was the perfect frame for in-depth discussions on food, aricultureal products and on the reconstruction of historical recipes, and ended with awarding of the winners of the different “Agri-Art Contest” sections.
Gran Galà dinner with local products. Credits: City of Turin
The “Grand Gala” is part of a varied program of activities involving and sharing knowledge aimed at supporting an active and stable participation of all the actors who operate and interact within the city food system, through the promotion of sustainable, inclusive and replicable circular economy models.