The third day of our journey was entirely dedicated to the city and surroundings of Bologna. In 2022, Bologna was considered one of the leading smart cities in Italy, focused on sustainable digital development.
A smart city is one that invests in ecological transition, digital transformation, and social inclusion, and Bologna, thanks to its supremacy in terms of social inclusion—especially for social expenditures and citizen involvement in the public life of the city—stands out significantly. This city perfectly harmonizes the old and the new, where history, art, music, architecture, and gastronomy blend together, bearing in mind that Bologna is home to the oldest western university still in operation. The University of Bologna is a benchmark for the Italian population in terms of sustainability. Known as “Alma Mater Studiorum,” it stands out for its ability to offer quality, inclusive, and innovative education and for promoting gender equality.
In Bologna, one of the activities we dedicated to the project was a visit to Arvaia – Agricultural Cooperative Society, where we were warmly welcomed by Carlota, who explained how the association operates, took us on a tour of the property, and let us taste some of the fruits they cultivate.
Arvaia is an agricultural cooperative organized as a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), where the members are not clients of a company but directly participate in the product choices and financing, sharing in both risks and benefits, and receiving equal value from the distribution of the harvests. The community currently consists of seven young people who directly cultivate their own food in an organic, sustainable, and supportive way. This type of organic farming excludes the use of chemical compounds, is sustainable for the land, labor-intensive, and not capital-intensive, with low impacts on the soil.
In this agricultural society, produce is grown for direct consumption, focusing on seasonal vegetables (without packaging or intermediaries), cereals, some legumes, and some fruits. The social base brings together people who live near the fields, aiming at labor and food participation, and the food produced reaches the associated citizens directly, with less environmental impact and, consequently, of better quality.
Another important point is that this agricultural society still has a space dedicated to urban gardens, where city residents also promote organic and biological agriculture.
To understand the social impact of Arvaia on the community, they own a space designated for events, picnics, and birthday parties, where monetary contributions are donations, with no specified prices for hours or the number of people.
Finally, and I believe it touched the entire group participating in this project, we met Ricardo. Ricardo has a residence on this property, benefits from the support of everyone working in this agricultural society, and hosts thirteen people with disabilities in his residence.
Bologna truly is all of this: sustainable, inclusive, and wonderful!
