Exploring the future of organic agriculture: Highlights from day 1 of the Organic Food Conference

The Organic Food Conference took place on 22-23 May at Aboca’s premises in Sansepolcro, Tuscany (IT), and its first day was nothing short of exciting! A broad variety of participants, from organisations and companies to university students, media, etc.. came together to share their passion for organic food and sustainability. The conference kicked off with a warm welcome and inspiring words from our Director Eduardo Cuoco, our President Jan Plagge and Aboca’s Agricultural Public Affairs & Impact and Sustainability Manager Jacopo Orlando.

Undoubtedly, one of the most remarkable moments of the day was the keynote speech by Christian Felber, writer, university lecturer, and initiator of Economy for the Common Good and of the Austrian Cooperative for the Common Good. “Economy for the Common Good – A model fit for the future” was the title of his intervention, and his impactful words left a profound impression on the entire audience, especially when he emphasized that the current global ecological crisis necessitates the establishment of a sustainable, socially responsible, and human-centric economic model. A model in which money is just the mean to achieve its primary goal and purpose of the Common Good, a good life for everyone on a healthy planet. At the heart of this concept lies the idea that values-driven businesses are mindful of and committed to human dignity, solidarity and social justice, environmental sustainability, and transparency and co-determination. To learn more about the Economy for Common Good movement and how it works in practice, visit their website and watch Christian Felber’s TedX on YouTube.

After Felber’s speech, we had an interesting discussion on organic food in a changing world, moderated by our director Eduardo Cuoco, with ISMEA’s President Angelo Frascarelli, our President Jan Plagge, and AssoBio’s President Roberto Zanoni. The panel was lively and engaging, with participants focusing on future challenges and sharing insights, experiences and needs of the organic sector from their respective countries.

To cap off an already enriching day, we had the opportunity to visit Aboca’s beautiful museum, which showcased the story of herbs and health through the ages, as well as the company’s history and their commitment to sustainability. It was truly inspiring to see firsthand how Aboca has built a successful business while staying true to their values.

Day 1 ended with a delicious organic dinner, opened by a toast by our Vice-President Marian Blom and FederBio’s Managing Director Rossella Bartolozzi, who also briefly introduced the project BEING Organic in EU, sponsor of the dinner itself and of day 2 of the Organic Food Conference.