NZZ Format - Old roots, new ideas: Young farmers fight for biodiversity
The Alpine region consists of an extremely diverse + at the same time sensitive ecosystem. 30,000 animals and 13,000 plants are at home here. But the natural cultural space in the Alps is threatened: climate change, urbanisation + mass tourism, industrial forms of agriculture and globalisation endanger biodiversity + thus the livelihood of mountain farmers. The number of farmers who can survive under these conditions is shrinking just as rapidly as the fertile agricultural land.
But how can a sustainable agriculture be designed in the Alps that ensures the return of species, makes the soil usable again, avoids long transport routes + the waste of food + ensures a closer connection between producers and consumers?
Journalist Anja Tschannen from the French-speaking part of Switzerland breeds + sells old livestock breeds such as Pomeranian ducks, Appenzeller Spitzhauben chickens + Evolèner cattle. The Italians Federico Chierico + Federico Rial grow 60 different potato varieties in the high mountainous areas of the Aosta Valley. Simon Vetter from Lustenau in Vorarlberg delivers 700 vegetable boxes with old + new varieties every week in direct sales to the region.
They all have a common goal: the preservation of Alpine diversity. At the centre of this movement is the newly founded Culinarium Alpinum in Stans. In an old monastery, under the direction of food scout and food historian Dominik Flammer, a place of encounter + exchange has been created where mountain farmers + chefs, restaurateurs + gourmets come together to jointly reshape the future of the culinary cultural area of the Alps.
Broadcasting on 13th of March 2022 at 07.10pm on 3sat - First broadcasting on 18th of November 2021 at 11:00pm on SRF
Music: POPVIRUS Library