Social Justice Never Tasted So Good
This past November, a court in Italy convicted more than 230 members of the ‘Ndrangheta.
The ‘Ndrangheta is the criminal group in Calabria, and since the expulsion and weakening of the Mafia in Sicily, Calabria’s criminals have spread their tentacles, becoming the most powerful organized crime circle in Europe. This conviction is a huge step forward for the region of Calabria, as it remains the most depressed. It’s been hard in Italy in general, but most parts of Calabria has essentially lost an entire generation to the hope and search for opportunities elsewhere.
Products grown on seized Mafia land and jarred according to the traditions of southern Italy
When a crime Boss is convicted, his assets are seized by the government and given back to the community. But what then? That is when organizations like Terra Libera step in.
Libera Terra was founded with the goal of developing “difficult” territories, through the social and productive recovery of the land freed from the Mafias. The organization also plays an active role in collaborating with other producers who share the same principles and encourage organic farming. Beyond rehabilitating the land, Libera Terra is involved in the regional schools, educating the youth about their mission and the land they come from.
I had a winemaker friend tell me, “the Mafia is a mentality”- it’s not just the people who commit the crimes, but it’s an entire way of thinking, a way of thinking many would argue that still grips much of Italy today. We are not speaking of generations ago and a relic of the past, but of today. As little ago as the 1990s, Calabria was in the grips of a full on ‘Ndrangheta civil war.
By coming together and holding the crime lords accountable, showing the people that there are alternatives to their current way of life, Libera Terra has the possibility of changing the minds of Italian citizens and inspiring them to make a difference in their own communities. Perhaps, even, to stay rather than flee what was otherwise seen as a desolate land and hopeless situation.
In their rehabilitation of seized Mafia land, Libera Terra has turned the South’s strong point- agriculture. Cittavino & Co. is the only retailer in the United States that is carrying these products. We have them up in the Holiday Marketplace, making appearances in our Antipasti Goals and De Re Culinara gift baskets. This holiday season you can experience the rich culinary culture of southern Italy.
The Libera Terra Chapter in Puglia has turned the estate of the Treasurer of the Corona Sacra Unita’ into a winery.
Emmanule, the consulting agronomist for Libera Terra
