Siccità e nuove colture: in Italia si pianta la quinoa

#gediwatch #quinoa #sustainable Environmental and economic sustainability. These are the motivations behind Lorenzo Casini, a university student from Cortona, Tuscany, growing Quipo quinoa seeds on his family farm. This variety of the pseudocereal was selected by Professor Lorenzo Casini of the University of Florence. Growing a "rustic" crop, requiring little irrigation and fertilization, allows for significant energy and water savings, crucial in this climate and economic emergency. "Climate change forces us to make choices, improving the crops currently grown or exploring new varieties, an option that can yield the best results in the shortest possible time." Quinoa and amaranth are also highly sought-after foods on the market, especially among celiacs and vegans, because they contain amino acids not found in other gluten-free grains. The price of quinoa has also increased in its countries of origin, and some segments of the population are unable to afford it. Furthermore, intensive cultivation on land originally used for pasture has several negative agronomic consequences, including the depletion of soil fertility. Growing quinoa in Italy thus becomes a way to actively resist climate change: not only because the use of resources required to produce the seed for food purposes is lower than that of traditional Italian crops like corn and sunflower, but also because domestic production saves carbon dioxide emissions required for transport from Latin American countries, where production does not always respect the rights and working conditions of local farmers. The report was published on Gedi Watch, the Gedi Group's digital magazine: every week, we cover current events and local personalities in exclusive reports by our videographers. You can find all the episodes here: www.gediwatch.it