IT01 – X-FARM AGRICOLTURA PROSSIMA

IDENTIFICATION OF THE CASE STUDY

Case study number: IT-01

Name of the farm/organization: X-Farm Agricoltura Prossima / X-Farm Next Agriculture

Title of the case study:

X-Farm Agro-ecological and social farm

MAIN DATA

Country

Italy

Year of establishment

2018

Target groups

Disabled people
Addicts
Ex – addicts
Prisoners
Migrants

Type of farm

multi-functional agriculture

Size (in hectares)

50 ha

Numbers of employees from target groups

15 employees in total

Number of members from target groups using services without employment

During the harvest period, 20 workers employed.

Sources they live from

Cultivation, production and sale of agricultural products

Innovative / not innovative

Innovative

Websites

www.xfarm.me

www.facebook.com/xfarmagricolturaprossima

www.instagram.com/xfarmagricolturaprossima

DESCRIPTION

X Farm- agricoltura prossima is a project of the type B social cooperative 'Qualcosa di diverso', born from the recovery of land confiscated from organised crime in the countryside of San Vito dei Normanni, Apulia. The X-Farm farmland was seized from the mafia in 2004 and was abandoned for years. It was only in 2015 that they were made available to a public tender by the municipality and have been managed by the social cooperative since 2017. The farm is run according to organic and regenerative farming practices. The soil is regenerated through practices that increase soil fertility, eliminating environmental contamination by synthetic chemicals by valorising farm waste and self-production. “The social farm is seen from an agro-ecological, 100% inclusive perspective, the land is a common asset of the community and as such is available to all. Everyone can work the land, obtain its fruits and benefits, without distinction between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged persons”, says Marco, the founder and legal representative of the farm.

POSITIVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

“The greatest success of this farm is the innovation and regeneration of the land after five years of the cooperative's land management. In the beginning, we had to fight all the obstacles and prejudices of the community, talking about land that had been in Mafia hands for years. Also from an agricultural point of view, the 50 hectares with the 12,000 olive trees had long been cultivated through intensive land use practices that were unsustainable for both the environment and the community. Our greatest success has been to reconvert and regenerate the land, generating value for the entire ecosystem”. (Marco Notarnicola) From a social and community involvement point of view, X-Farm is an agro-ecological enterprise, an open-door farm where everyone can participate with their knowledge and experience, to improve cultivation techniques, bringing innovation and experimentation. The agro-ecological perspective also includes the involvement of everyone in the community, no one excluded. "There is no distinction between the disadvantaged and the non-disadvantaged”. (Marco) The X-Farm poultry project and activities are an example of this. The 'Hasta l'Huevo' project is run by a psychiatric patient, and is a highly experimental project, in fact it consists of associating olive trees and laying hens, ensuring a rational grazing activity through mobile hen houses moved periodically to different areas of the olive grove. “Work is a form of emancipation, autonomy and personal fulfilment, the whole community is therefore entitled to it”. (Marco)

OBSTACLES AND HOW TO OVERCOME

“The biggest obstacle we faced and, in fact, are still facing is the setting of the land and crops, which had been there for a long time. The farm was set on quantity with intensive production methods and also in the choice of products, which were ill-suited to the microclimate and ecosystem of the place. For example, the intensive olive grove of 12,000 olive trees, the Lambrusco type, which is not a local olive tree. Converting this time-honoured exploitation system into an innovative, environmentally friendly system has been very complex. The difficulties have been overcome through various experiments, such as the production of domestic, natural and sustainable fertilisers, agro-ecological and agro-forestry techniques have been experimented and are proving to be successful”. (Marco)

“Hasta l’Huevo” project

For example, the agro-forestry model, which combines soil cultivation and chicken rearing, has been tried out. This model has regenerated the land and the ecosystem, in the form of an intensive, but at the same time circular economy, synergic with the entire ecosystem. In addition to the technical difficulties of cultivating the old traditional methods, X-Farm had to face the difficulties of the community and local farmers, who were initially unaccustomed to this more participatory approach to land cultivation. Gradually, through direct involvement, with workshops, events, cultural and innovative activities, both the transformation of the land and the labour involvement of everyone, disadvantaged and not, took place.

RECOMMENDATIONS, ADVICE

The advice that X-Farm social farm feels like giving to other farmers is to always be in a state of 'tension' between the past and the present, in the sense of always respecting and cherishing traditional experience and culture, but with an eye to the future. The future for X-Farm is seen from an open and participative perspective in which everyone can contribute their own input, both intellectual and concrete-working. This reasoning starts from the assumption that the land is a common good, therefore everyone is a participant and responsible for its development. “It is therefore necessary to critically question past practices and analyse them in context to improve respect for the land and the wellbeing of the entire community. What needs to be abolished and abandoned is, consequently, the old mentality focused on economic yield as such and closed. Instead, it is important to be open, to call in experts, to share experiences and best practices in order to improve the study and research of the land. Considering that each territory has its own characteristics and peculiarities, which implies constant commitment and experimentation on the ground”. (Marco) A further piece of advice that Marco from X-Farm would like to give is not to stop at the involvement of a narrow circle of people, to expand the community as much as possible, on a local, regional, national and European level.

PROMO

The promotion of the X-Farm social farm follows a dual strategy, one offline and one online. The offline strategy is word of mouth, trust and communication within the farm and the cooperative. Over time, the farm has built a network of trust within the community. Loyal customers are subscribed to a list, which is renewed from year to year, through which they pay a fee. Registered customers receive the garden produce and seasonal vegetables from the farm directly to their homes. In addition, X-Farm has invested heavily and entrusted external professionals with the company's online communication. The company has a very active Facebook page and Instagram page and the website is constantly being updated. The promotion of X-farm is focused on telling their story, from mafia-run land to common good for all. This is why X-Farm has an active network around, not only nationally, but also on a European level, telling its story and spreading its image around, to welcome suggestions for improvement and stimulate others to do the same, with a view to comparison and cooperation. Communication is among the farm's key resources.

FINAL SENTENCES

Marco, the legal representative of X-Farm, envisions substantial infrastructure investments for the farm in the next five to ten years. Acquiring 50 hectares of land and 12,000 olive trees initially left them with only a shed, but now a complex of buildings and a processing workshop have been added. These facilities host educational workshops and social activities. Future investments will prioritize research and development in technology, with a focus on expanding agroforestry initiatives, including the successful poultry-social project. X-Farm aims to cultivate 6 hectares using agroforestry by next year and plans to offer advisory services to other farmers. The farm takes pride in fostering extensive community participation, aiming to strengthen the community's connection to the area through inclusive events, shows, workshops, and festivals. X-Farm defines community broadly, emphasizing inclusivity without limitations or exclusions in participation.

Outdoor teaching