Author:
Laura Turrini

In the South of the “Beau­tiful Country,” the number of exotic fruit farms is increasing, since trop­ical fruits are more prof­itable than other crops and more in demand than ever, both domes­ti­cally and across Europe. However, careful land selec­tion and agro­nomic manage­ment is impor­tant, as proven by the 10-year expe­ri­ence of the F.lli Bilardi Farm, in Calabria.

In the heart of Calabria, in the Italian province of Catan­zaro, there are still people who grow mulberry trees and breed silk­worms to produce one of the world's finest yarns. The core values at play here? Tradi­tion, an arti­sanal supply chain, an organic process, diver­si­fi­ca­tion, ethical action and sustain­able land devel­op­ment.