We are not going anywhere. Nor are the Dolomites
The long COVID-19 emergency has brought changes to people’s life styles. The limitation of movement, the closure of many mountain commercial establishments and skiing complexes, have responsibly kept mountain lovers away from the Dolomites, in the name of the collective and individual duty of fighting this unprecedented threat. Even some important events involving the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation have been postponed until further notice. We are mentioning them not just to keep you informed, but also and most of all to remind everyone that our commitment towards the active conservation and the promotion of our Heritage – which will continue during these weeks thanks to the work that is being carried out in full compliance with the measures introduced by the Government -, will start again at full pace as soon as the emergency ends. And the challenges that we will have to face are, and will be, significant.
Sustainability, agriculture and tourism: where should we start?
The conference organised by Coldiretti at Longarone Fiere as part of the Agrimont spring fair (currently postponed to the beginning of September), was conceived as an important opportunity for discussing the link between agriculture and tourism. The title of the meeting, which it is hoped will still take place, calls them the “backbone of the sustainability of the Belluno mountain region and of its promotion”. And extremely important is the idea at the basis – as suggested by the title -, which indeed indicates sustainability as the ultimate objective, and that agricultural and tourism development should guarantee, rather than hinder, its achievement.
One of the initiatives that follow this direction is undoubtedly the Network of quality producers promoted by the Unesco Dolomites Foundation. A network in continuous expansion, comparing the experiences of producers from different provinces and regions, also on the basis of extremely tangible issues. The object of the Foundation is to promote a quality production chain, for example by publishing on the internet the details of local producers and mountain hut managers. The “Incontri d’alt(r)a quota” festivals of the last two summer seasons gave visibility to this collaboration: producers made available the fruits of their hard work for the menus of Chef Alessandro Gilmozzi, which have then become part of the culinary offers of the mountain huts themselves. The activities of agricultural companies are also continuing during these weeks, in order to guarantee the food chain. We must therefore remember that this is where we need to start from when the emergency is over, to make sure that across the Dolomites this chain becomes shorter and shorter, and that quality keeps improving.
Trento Film Festival: a postponement that will increase expectations
Also the Trento Film Festival, the film festival that mountain lovers most look forward to, is now on hold waiting for the end of the emergency. An event that is enjoying increasing collaboration between the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation and the organisers. The redefinition of the program of the festival will take place as soon as the new dates will become available. A program that, as usual, will be extremely varied and will include the unmissable UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites special award, in collaboration with SAT – Società Alpinisti Tridentini, and dedicated to the works that best represent the active Heritage conservation values. There will be again a section dedicated to special broadcasts, selected in collaboration with the Foundation. And while last year the Vaia storm had spurred the decision to concentrate on forests, this year the attention will be focused on rivers. Mountains are in fact the origin of that vital resource that is water: we cannot think about a river without reminiscing about its origin, the lost purity, the effects on the landscape. But also about its destructive potential, when mankind overlooks its fragility, and fails to respect its natural space. Something further to consider, because environmental issues will not wait for the end of the COVID-19 emergency.
Ph. Alessandra Masi