Following the recognition of Bosco del Cor as a Forest Bathing Center, a qualified area to host forest therapy activities, the Ferrara di Monte Baldo woods now offer new perspectives related to environmental certification and enhancement. The recent memorandum of understanding signed in Rome between the National Association of Truffle Cities (ANCT) and PEFC, one of the world’s leading forest certification systems, is encouraging this path.
The agreement, sponsored by the Ministry of the Environment, aims to strengthen the sustainable management of forested areas and recognizes truffles as an important bioindicator of forest health. This is particularly important for Ferrara di Monte Baldo, an area where the presence of this precious mushroom has always been an economic, gastronomic, and tourist resource, as well as an indicator of environmental quality.
«The protocol recognizes the value of truffles as a bioindicator of forest health, emphasizing the importance of sustainable forest management to combat the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss», explains Antonella Brancadoro, director of the National Association of Truffle Cities. Thanks to the agreement, the association’s member municipalities, including Ferrara di Monte Baldo, will be able to initiate direct collaborations with PEFC to obtain certifications and develop projects dedicated to the protection of forest heritage.
For Mayor Carla Giacomazzi, this confirms the path taken in recent years. «Ferrara di Monte Baldo was the first municipality in the Veneto region to join the National Association of Truffle Cities. A choice made not only to promote an economic and tourist resource, but above all to enhance and protect a unique forest heritage such as that of Monte Baldo», he underlines.
The presence of truffles, the mayor emphasizes, represents a concrete sign of the environmental quality of the area. «When we joined the association, we were convinced that truffles were an element of our region’s identity and, at the same time, an indicator of environmental health. Today this principle finds national recognition through an agreement that further strengthens the path started».
The agreement between ANCT and PEFC aims to disseminate sustainable forest management tools and models compliant with European standards, promoting practices capable of protecting truffle ecosystems and ensuring the proper conservation of forested areas. An objective that fits fully into the municipal administration’s environmental policies and confirms how the valorization of gastronomic excellence can transform into a concrete opportunity for local development.
Michele Boscagli, president of the National Association of Truffle Cities, also highlights the strategic importance of the agreement. «It will help our members promote sustainable management of truffle-producing areas, which is increasingly necessary in the face of the effects of climate change and the progressive abandonment of maintenance of spontaneously produced areas, phenomena that are impacting truffle production.»
In the coming months, the agreement will enter the operational phase, involving the association’s 92 public bodies, including Regions, Parks, and Municipalities. Ferrara di Monte Baldo will thus be able to benefit from new opportunities to enhance and protect its forest heritage, consolidating the truffle’s role as a symbol of biodiversity and sustainable development.
«Municipalities can work to improve the usability of forests and non-timber products, of which truffles are the main representative», concludes Marco Bussone, president of PEFC.