In Italy, Veneto is an area characterised by intensive agriculture. Over six months, the Yves Rocher Foundation worked with the Aveprobi association to plant hedges.
Intensive agriculture in Veneto caused forestland to gradually disappear. The eastern part of the Po Valley is becoming one of the most polluted areas in Europe. Herbicides and pesticides are heavily used here, with tree and shrub formations eliminated. Biodiversity must be restored in this area as a matter of urgency. Aveprobi, with funding from the Yves Rocher Foundation, has been planting hedges in the region since December 2020.
The project
Since December 2020, the Yves Rocher Foundation has committed to funding the planting of 24,250 trees in Italy. The Aveprobi project offered awareness-raising and training campaigns to integrate more sustainable agricultural methods into practices.
The project was rolled out across 14 farms in the Veneto and Lazio regions and involved planting 41 native and traditional tree species, nurtured by 45 farmers.
All forest seedlings came from public or private nurseries in Veneto, Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. The diversity of planted species is hugely important in pest control, which must be carried out using biological methods. In addition, students from the agricultural higher education centre in Verona will ensure the sustainability of the project. They also helped plant 1,200 trees.
Press articles, webinars and practical workshops have helped raise awareness among farmers, who were given information on the benefits of forest training and techniques for planting and managing hedgerows.
The first 10,000 trees were planted during the first planting season between December 2020 and April 2021. For the new season, we have planned to plant 14,250 additional trees together and broaden planting activities to encompass Lazio, Marche and Emilie-Romagna as well as Veneto.
A few words about the NGO
The Venetian Association of Organic and Biodynamic Producers (Aveprobi) promotes and fosters organic and biodynamic farming practices. It is composed mainly of farmers and now has 400 members. The association promotes projects aimed at protecting biodiversity and identifying varieties suitable for organic growing.
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