First the lessons in the classroom, then the practice in the Villa Quaglina farm to become “custodians of the Unesco vineyards”: Ali from Pakistan, Kelvin from Nigeria, Ibrahima from Gambia, Ismail from Afghanistan are some of the gods 12 young foreigners who took part in the first course of knowledge and care of the vine promoted by the Unesco site Wine landscapes of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato and created by Cia Agricoltori Italiani of Asti. The initiative took place in the agricultural estate of Villa Quaglina, where the Piam welcomes migrants by involving them in ethical and social agriculture programs. The course was also attended by asylum seekers and refugees, included in the Prometeo project of the Sai Network (Reception and Integration System) with the Municipality of Asti as leader and Piam manager.
I 12 cbears (average age between 25 and 39), were mostly novices with agricultural practices, only two of them had already worked in the vineyard: Ibrahima in Monferrato, engaged in the last harvest, and Sherzaman in Austria. The red thread that binds their stories is the escape from war, hunger and abuse. They traveled thousands and thousands of kilometers on foot, crossing Turkey, Greece and the Balkans to the Italian border. “The purpose of the course – confirms Alberto Mossino, president of Piam – is to promote the social inclusion of migrants through hospitality, training and work”.
The oenologist Marco Pippione and Francesca Serra oversaw the training programrespectively director and agronomist of the technical service Cia. The lessons covered topics such as physiology and botany of the vine, theoretical notions and practices of pruning, general agricultural mechanics, strategies for an increasingly eco-sustainable viticulture, hygiene rules, exercises and practical demonstrations.
Followed by an interpreter and by Simona Povigna (teacher of Italian for foreigners, collaborates with Piam), the students attended classroom lessons (with videos and handouts), moving on to the practical part in the experimental vineyard of Villa Quaglina.
“The participation and interest exceeded expectations – comments Marco Pippione – there were many questions on the vegetative state of the vine, on the most common diseases, on pruning techniques”. “They have a great desire to learn and would like to stay and work in Italy, they are very impressed and fascinated by the vineyards” comments Simona Povigna.
The course was completed with a part dedicated to the knowledge of the Viticultural Landscapes of Southern Piedmont, Unesco heritage, edited by the director of the site Roberto Cerrato. Over 2,500 workers are employed every year in wineries, at least 1,800 are foreigners: “We have a great need for skilled labor that it is difficult to find – underlines Marco Capra, president of Cia Asti – there are few young people from Asti who want to devote themselves to the agricultural world and it is important to remember that without foreign labor our companies would have no future. Promoting integration with cultural and professional paths is an obligatory path for the sustainability of the territory, both economically and socially “.
Talking about the objectives of the inclusion project “The protection of the authenticity of a living landscape between tradition, innovation and globalization in the Unesco site of the Piedmont Wine Landscapes” are Gianfranco Comaschi and Roberto Cerrato, respectively president and director of the association Paesaggi Vitivinicoli Langhe, Roero and Monferrato: “This project has allowed us to open collaboration with the agricultural world which is an integral part and indispensable resource for the maintenance of our Unesco site – they explain – The goal is to collaborate more and more with the Municipalities and local resources to ensure that the “vineyard keepers”, often foreigners, can find a correct professional classification and understand the value of the context in which they are inserted ». –