Competitiveness, connection, development: some Biodiversity's features

Po River, lowlands, hills, mountains. Landscape diversification in Oltrepò Pavese renders it the ideal habitat for many animals, flowers and trees of essential importance for a balanced ecosystem.

Oltrepò (BIO)diverso is born from this awareness. The project represents a single voice, which includes public bodies, universities, associations, enterprises. They have chosen to invest in biodiversity for a common goal: to enhance Oltrepò Pavese potential and make visible its resources. On its wide surface, where the butterflies richness is the same of whole Great Britain, landscape and agriculture are natural resources, necessary for many scientific researches and new services development, which could improve rural settlement, women possibilities of working and a collective cultural identity awareness.

The project focuses on different thematic areas, among which the macro area “Produzioni Agricole Locali e Creazione d’Impresa” (Local Farming Productions and Enterprise Creations). In this macro area fits the “ViNO” project.

ViNO: Vineyards and nature in Oltrepò Pavese

ViNO project is born to seize two major challenges:

• To recover abandoned founds, avoiding the consequent increase of hydrogeological risk

• To study vine varieties adaptation to new climatic conditions.

To make these goals come true, different measures are adopted, among which the creation of a network of wine companies interested in strengthening the bond between production and terroir. These companies, thanks to the membership in a specific protocol, experience agricultural practices, looking for biodiversity, waters and soil protection, thus promoting a kind of  sustainable agriculture, respecting nature and mankind.

Vitea protocol for the management of vineyards

The “Protocollo per la gestione dei vigneti per la rete ecologica” (Protocol for the management of vineyards for the ecological network), subscribed by Vitea, includes the maintenance of a hectare mixed grass area, previously vineyard, and of total grass cover in vineyards, with inter-row vineyard’s mowing. Vineyard shows itself as an enormous green expanse. It embodies the perfect habitat for bees, butterflies, birds and other little animals, which here find food and can reproduce.

Oltrepò (Bio)diverso is promoted by Fondazione per lo Sviluppo dell’Oltrepò Pavese, supported by  Fondazione Cariplo with “AttivAree”. Specifically the ViNO – Vigneti e Natura in Oltrepò project has been realized by  Fondazione Lombardia per l’Ambiente and Cooperativa Eliante.