The online meeting reserved for agricultural operators, university professors, agronomists, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, gourmets, etc., linked by the love of these simple and humble foods “which arrived on earth before man and will be present after his disappearence”, will take place on 4 June 2021 at 5.30 pm.

Foods that, together with cereals, have ensured the life of man on earth. The appointment was supposed to take place in presence, but for reasons related to the pandemic, it will be held online in a private platform; while, the signing of the acts of the constituent Association “Legumi Siciliani” has been postponed to August 27th at the Sillitti company in Caltanissetta.

The aim of the event is to collect suggestions, indications, proposals, etc. from all those who would like to contribute, enrich and implement the “Legumi Siciliani” manifesto in order to make it more representative of all the needs and requirements of the players in the chain.

On the Facebook page: Legumi Siciliani, you can download the application form for membership and participation which, duly signed, must be sent to the e-mail legumisiciliani@gmail.com.

Membership will allow you to receive the link and the procedure to be able to participate in the event.

At the moment, the following have joined: Antonio Sillitti, Azienda Sillitti; Pietro Busetta, founder of the constituting association “Sicilian Legumes Aps”; Francesco Nicoletti, town councilor for Territorial Growth of the Municipality of Caltanissetta, promoter of the First World Park of the Mediterranean Lifestyle; Biagio Agostara, president of Idimed, Mediterranean Diet Institute; Ziniti Rozen Cancilla, president of Enohobby club Panormita, FICE; Francesco Cancellieri, National Manager of Protected Areas and Ecoregions of SIGEA; Matteo Fici, Tedtrip Start-up contact person – Sustainable and experiential tourism.

Thematic presentations will be held by: Mario Liberto, author of the book Sustainable Legumes: suitable for gourmets, vegetarians and vegans; Mauro Sarno, Sparacia Company, University of Palermo; Paolo Castelli, Materland srl; Angelo Barone from the C.I.B.O. network (Culture, identity, biodiversity, organization); Giusi Carioto, Tedtrip Start-up contact referent – Sustainable and experiential tourism.

The event will be moderated by Francesca Cerami, director of Idimed. Dario Cartabellotta, director of the Agriculture Department, will take part in it.

In the past decades, in the absence of Community aid, legumes were left to the care of intelligent operators who, with much difficulty, were able to preserve their existence.

Thanks to these farsighted agricultural operators, to Slow Food, to the Ucria Germplasm Bank, to the Experimental Graniculture Consortium Station for Sicily in Caltagirone, these “allies of human nutrition”, in part, have been recovered and preserved.

Now that Europe is calling everyone together with the new strategic programming of the New Green Deal (ecological transition) and the Farm To Fork (from farmer to table), legumes, precious treasures of biodiversity and sustainability, become strategic.

In this decisive change of course, compared to the global standardisation of consumption and world trade that has changed the relationship between agriculture and food over the last fifty years, legumes are becoming the protagonists of the new ‘green’ Europe.

Legumes have been and will continue to be priority elements of Sicily’s agricultural and food civilization. Broad beans, chickpeas, lentils, beans, chickling peas and lupins are the cornerstones of the Mediterranean Diet in terms of protein and fibre, foods that have characterized the identity of the typical dishes of Sicilian cuisine and beyond.

And it is in this context, within the search for new sustainable models of agriculture, where the ability to combine production, food safety and respect for the environment is becoming increasingly important and crucial.

Sustainable food that can compete with the challenges of farming: to produce quality food that can reduce chemical load and not be affected by climate problems. As well as being useful because they fix nitrogen in the soil, they make phosphorus and iron available; they have a high protein and fibre content and B vitamins. They are very rich in micro nutrients and have low amounts of lipids, starches and calories.

In short, they are the emblem of healthy, fair and sustainable agriculture, the central fulcrum of the international Mediterranean Diet.

At the link below, the Association Manifesto and the registration form.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dCqnrBt2msDCcXPt9jdVPZ5L-co-ybwM/view

The promoting committee.