When individuals involved in the new food system are able to develop expertise in and share knowledge of sustainable practices, they empower each other to invest their work with their own priorities and to develop and reaffirm their values. Of particular importance is working with and harnessing nature rather than seeking to dominate and control the complex processes which sustain our lives. This not only means delivering safe and nutritious food but serving the needs of individuals and contributing to important forms of shared wealth, such as community, soil quality, and resilience.
by Julia Marino
Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan
自然と人間組織の共通点は主に構造面（Structure）と相互関係面(Mutual Relationship)の２つに分けられます。自然な状態で栄養素の循環が起こる土の構造（Structure）への理解。また各々が役割を果たし、強みを発揮しながらお互いに協働する相互関係（Mutual Relationship）。この２面を整えていくことで、植物は適切に成長し、種を次世代に繋いでいきます。組織では、形態や意思決定の方法が構造（Structure）に、働く人たちの強みを活かせる関係づくりが相互関係(Mutual Relationship)に、それぞれ対応していると考えています
MEGUMI JYUNKAN Nōhō [Natural Ecosystem Farming]
An “effortless” ecological farming approach, originating in Japan, that works alongside the natural ecosystem, and incorporates the observation of nature, such as the direction of the water, wind and sun.
“Megumi Jyunkan Nōhō teaches me about how to live. We all have strong points and weak points, so we can help each other, like companion plants.”
YUKO MIYAKYŪ
Co-founder of Natural Organization Lab
Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
SHIRO YOSHIHARA
CEO & Co-founder of Natural Organization Lab
Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
“Through the process of making a new home in Tokyo, I became inspired by the Japanese philosophy that truth comes from the observation of nature. Shiro and Yuko, and their friend Toko shared the principles of this wisdom in their garden laboratory near Mt. Fuji. Together we observed the direction of the water, air and sun, and facilitated a healthy structure for plants and people to grow and thrive. Their passion for continuing life and companionship on the farm, as well as in the workplace, has moved me to share their story with others.
JULIA MARINO
Information Artist
Tokyo, Japan
by Giuseppe Bruno
Agricola Piano, Apricena, Puglia, Italy
After the farm was passed on to him, Raffaele had to manage his farm and he continued to grow olive trees with conventional practices. Then he produced olive oil but he wasn’t able to sell it, so he decided to join a tasting course where he understood that his olive oil was mediocre and that he had to change his practices. The transition to organic was so inspiring that Raffaele created a new farming model based on good practices, ethics and collaboration, then unconvinced his fellow farmers to adopt his practices and grow with him. Raffaele doesn’t use chemical insecticides. He fills bottles with chickpeas and the insects get trapped inside. Raffaele knows that by helping his peer farmers, he also helps his farm.
RAFAELLE PIANO
Olive Grower
For three generations, the Piano family struggled to produce olive oil. When grandson Raffael took control of the farm and decided to make the change to improve the quality, he knew he might strike out – but instead he struck oil.
“I made my artwork about two stories from Puglia, my home region, because they prove that something exciting is happening in the food system, even in southern Italy. I chose to include these stories in the Practice section of our exhibition because these are stories of people joining this participatory revolution and inspiring others to do the same.”
GIUSEPPE BRUNO
Information Artist
Foggia, Italy
by Elena Valeriote
Tenuta San Carlo, Grosseto, Italy
“It’s not just about producing food – it’s about producing food that is healthier for the consumer, for the land, and for the farmers. When you produce food, you’re extracting resources from a natural environment, but organic farming allows us to do this in a sustainable way. By transitioning to organic production, I am able to bring health back to the land that my family has farmed for three generations.”
The process of transforming agricultural practices from conventional to certified organic production.
Organic farmers like Ariane don’t use toxic chemicals. Instead of applying herbicides to kill weeds, extra work must be done before planting to prevent weeds from growing.
ARIANE LOTTI
Third Generation Rice Farmer
Tenuta San Carlo, Grosseto, Italy
“I’ve spent several months living and working at Tenuta San Carlo, which has given me time to become very familiar with Maremma and with the head farmer, Ariane. To me, the farm at Tenuta San Carlo represents how all agricultural land and livestock should be cared for. Ariane has a profound understanding of how to grow food without damaging an ecosystem and with respect for local cultural heritage. As a farmer, she has to make many difficult choices, but her actions are always motivated by her commitment to sustainability. I hope that her story will inspire other farmers or farmers-to-be to consider pursuing chemical-free farming and raising heritage breed animals.”
ELENA VALERIOTE
Information Artist
Vacaville, CA
by Julia Scherzl
Inis Oírr, Ireland
Inis Oírr is well-known for its beautiful green landscapes and stonewalls. To preserve these fields and raise healthy cattle, farmers practice winterage, a tradition maintained in Ireland over 4,000 years. This method requires time and patience, so farmers can only raise a limited amount of cattle. For this reason, most islanders have more than one occupation, working in tourism as well as cattle breeding.
LOW- INTENSITY GRASS-FED CATTLE
An eco-friendly practice, which allows whole year outdoor grazing through seasonal rotation.
These cattle graze outdoors throughout the year, moving between “summer fields” and “winter fields” depending on the seasons to ensure the health of both the animals and their environment. Stonewalls protect the grass from intense wind gusts. “Inis oírr is a man-made island. We made soil by putting seaweed and sand together. With this and our traditional practices we preserve the rich biodiversity.
MICHEÁL ÓFLATHARTA
Cattle Breeder
Inis Oírr, Ireland
“A little hike through the purely green landscape of the Aran Islands brought me to Micheál, the farmer who introduced me to his practice of low-intensity grass-fed cattle – a tradition, which was started to raise strong and healthy cattle with the help of the Island’s nature. The way he talked about his practices and the cattle really showed the passion and love he put into the project and made me realise that it takes a lot of effort to continue traditional practices, but it’s worth it to preserve this diversity.”
JULIA SCHERZL
Information Artist
Munich, Germany
by Donato Notarangelo
Vico del Gargano, FG, Puglia, Italia
Macchiatello is proof that science can help create new viticultural tradition. Propagating these all the grape yields not only studies with important botanical results but also a product with interesting sensory characteristics, while providing a new life to the biodiversity in this region.
The rediscovery of the indigenous grapes from a small area of southern Italy, using a process that begin with scientific studies of the “cultivar” and ends with re-introduction and production of a particular wine, in this case the Macchiatello.
NELLO BISCOTTI
Botanist
“Gargano is my land and I love it deeply. It is a small area, covered by hills and overlooking the sea, in the province of Foggia in the southern region of Italy called Puglia. This area is full of history and traditions, which I am very attached to and proud of. By sharing this story, I’m able to express my sense of belonging to Gargano through the work of a man who recovered the flavours of old and abandoned fruits. The rediscovery of ancient grapes and the production of Macchiatello, a kind of wine with unique sensorial features, is one of the practices that keep alive disappearing raw materials in present and for the future.”
DONATO NOTARANGELO
Information Artist
Foggia, Italy
by Elena Valeriote
Tenuta San Carlo, Grosseto, Italy
Due to agricultural industrialization, the Maremmana breed nearly disappeared. Preservation efforts by local farmers and recognition by the Slow Food Ark of Taste have fostered a Maremmana renaissance. This breed is closely linked to the heritage of both Maremma and the landscape of this wild part of Southern Tuscany. The number of Maremmana cows has more than doubled in the last decade. There are now Maremmana 20,000 cows in three regions in Italy.
A breed locally adapted to the environment where it has traditionally been raised.
“When an animal loses connection with its natural environment, the farmer raising that animal also becomes disconnected from nature.”
ARIANE LOTTI
Third Generation Maremmana Farmer Tenuta San Carlo, Grosseto, Italy
“I’ve spent several months living and working at Tenuta San Carlo, which has given me time to become very familiar with Maremma and with the head farmer, Ariane. To me, the farm at Tenuta San Carlo represents how all agricultural land and livestock should be cared for. Ariane has a profound understanding of how to grow food without damaging an ecosystem and with respect for local cultural heritage. As a farmer, she has to make many difficult choices, but her actions are always motivated by her commitment to sustainability. I hope that her story will inspire other farmers or farmers-to-be to consider pursuing chemical-free farming and raising heritage breed animals.”
ELENA VALERIOTE
Information Artist
Vacaville, CA
by Alberto Miti
Forno Strìa, Reggio Emilia, Italy
Bread is at the heart of many of the world’s diverse food cultures, but as a result of industrialisation, the quality has suffered and our daily bread is often a standardised product, poor in nutrients and cultural value. Through the rediscovery of the traditional way of making bread using sourdough and ancient grain flour, Strìa offers its community a rare chance to enjoy a nutritious, flavorful loaf of bread. It is a bakery, but also a center for education and a source of energy in the movement to preserve culinary cultural heritage.
Grains that have remain mostly unchanged throughout the history of agricultural cultivation, unlike common varieties that are the product of selective breeding.
FRANCESCO & YOUSSEF
Bakers at Forno Strìa
Reggio Emilia, Italy
ALBERTO MITI
Information Artist
Marche, Italy
by Julia Marino
Tokyo, Japan
アラ煮
手順（アラ煮）① アラを霜降りして掃除する。（鱗、血合いを取り除く）
手順（大根煮）② アラ、生姜スライス、ヤマサ、みりん、酒、砂糖、
A Japanese approach to the concept of food waste, which transforms the feeling of regret into the salvaging and enjoyment of “Oishii” (good) food.
“The huge waste from the fish market moved me to do something to help people understand the situation, so I started restaurants that serve food that would have otherwise been thrown away.”
AKIHIRO DATE-SAN
CEO
a-dot co., ltd (Mottainai Action Project)
“I get the fresh ‘imperfect’ fish from the market each day, and I find the best way to prepare all parts to reduce waste.”
YUTA-SAN
Chef
Tsukiji MOTTAINAI Project
UOHARU
“After moving to Tokyo, Japan, I was impressed by the abundance of polished, flawless foods beautifully presented in the markets. But I also wondered about the imperfect “ugly” fruit, veggies and fish that was not being sold — how can we prevent good food from being wasted? Through exploring this question, I learned of the huge food waste at the fish market, and how the Mottainai Action Project by a-dot.co has started diners such as Uoharu in an effort to reduce it. The name “Mottainai” is a state-of-mind rooted in Japanese culture that has reemerged in the practice of reducing, reusing, recycling, and respecting nature.”
JULIA MARINO
Information Artist
Tokyo, Japan
by Laura Pirro
San Marco in Lamis, Puglia, Italy
Within “power circularity,” it’s important to think about packaging as a challenge and an opportunity: there are many alternative ways to produce packaging, as Pascal did. With his products, he educates young generations to respect the environment and reduce waste.
A creative process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality or ecological value.
This package is made with raw cardboard, printed with one color to minimize its environmental impact. “King Arthur” Panettone package is designed to be reused: it can be easily transformed into a funny crown for this little king.
“This is my way of living: heart, hands and the palate rooted into the past and eyes looking at the future.”
Pascal and Michele
Founder and Son
Fulgaro Panificatori
“As a product designer, I help small companies create their brand identity including packaging and label design. When I started working on Pascal’s bakery products the challenge was to create a product with low environmental impact, a limited budget and a second life for the package. In the case of the Panettone project, we designed a kids-friendly package that could become a crown to play with. Thanks to this, the package itself can be reinvented into a toy and the product extends its life cycle. I hope that projects like this will soon become a standard practice within the food packaging industry.”
LAURA PIRRO
Information Artist
Foggia, Italy
by Alberto Miti
Reggio Emilia, Italy
Together, the yeast pushers and bakers build friendships and help to spread the knowledge of how to prepare bread from scratch. Most bakers have abandoned sourdough in favour of faster and less nutritious yeast. Through their interactions, both out in the city and within their kitchens, the yeast pushers act as guardians of a healthier, more natural way of baking.
A community of bread lovers who are willing to share their homemade sourdough yeast (Pasta Madre) with other bakers for free and with a smile.
“This is my way of living: heart, hands and the palate rooted into the past and eyes looking at the future.”
Riccardo, Sourdough Pusher,
and Peppe, Bread Junkie
ALBERTO MITI
Information Artist
Marche, Italy
by Giuseppe Bruno
Luigi’s Farm, Carpino, Puglia, Italy
After high school, Luigi’s parents were pushing him to go to university, but he couldn’t live in the crowd of the cities, so he decided to stay on his farm, like his father did. Nature taught him to find beauty and happiness in simplicity.
Pastore 2.0 is the new generation shepherd.
Luigi is more than a farmer, he is an educator.
Reconnect with nature and join the farm school.
Luigi & Shepherd
“I made my artwork about a story from Puglia, my home region, because it proves that something exciting is happening in the food system, even in southern Italy. I chose to include this story in the Practice section of our exhibition because it’s a story of people joining this participatory revolution and inspiring others to do the same.”
GIUSEPPE BRUNO
Information Artist
Foggia, Italy
