Save the Moretta Cherry Project

Safeguard a typical variety of the territory to continue pass on tastes and flavours who have written the food and wine history of a place. This is the mission of a group of farmers and enthusiasts who, since 2007, have created the project "Let's save Moretta” precisely to revive the cultivation of this cherry, which in recent decades has risked disappearing.

SAVE THE MORETTA PROJECT

Already in the last century, Moretta was called the “Queen of Cherries" for its unique sweetness and its nutritional properties, which have beneficial effects on health. In the 1960s, more than 6,000 tons of Morette were harvested each year, and this cherry's production accounted for more than a quarter of the Vignola area's production, in the province of Modena.

The lack of capable collectors, the new safety laws and the abandonment of the fields on the part of young people has pushed farmers to progressively reduce the production of Moretta to replace it with newer varieties and easier to grow. And so, from the large numbers of the post-war period, Moretta production experienced a sharp slowdown in the early 2000s: from thousands of tons per year, it dropped to just a few hundred kilos.

ALSO READ: Green thumbs in Scampia, the land of the clans. Volunteers saving a park and building community.

THE MORETTA CHERRY

The project aims to protect this delicious cherry species and encourages consumers to donate amounts, ranging from €20 to €1000, to plant Moretta cherry trees. Support for this type of cultivation is essential because production of this variety is very slow. In fact, the tree begins to bear fruit 6 years after planting.The project's aim, taking this timeline into account, is to invest in the future to make the Moretta cherry no longer a fruit reserved for a niche group, but accessible to everyone.

AVOID TASTE HOMOLOGATION

Saving endangered varieties also avoids another problem: the standardization of taste.Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in its “Report on the State of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture” estimates that, between 1900 and 2000, 75% of agricultural crops were lost and that three-quarters of the world's food depends on just 12 plant and five animal species.

In this sense, the genetic diversity of plants could be lost forever, with serious threat to food securityThis highlights the need to maintain biodiversity and conserve all endangered species, including the Moretta cherry.

SLOW FOOD PRESIDIO MORETTA CHERRY

The Moretta cherry has recently been named a Slow Food Presidium. This designation is used by the Slow Food movement to support small-scale traditional production. which are at risk of disappearing, to enhance territories and for save native breeds from extinction and a variety of vegetables and fruit. It also supports producers who commit to not using chemical weed control products and encourages them to adopt sustainable production practices.

In Italy, there are 250 "Slow Food Presidia," the result of 10 years of work aimed at protecting biodiversity. The Slow Food formula is "good, clean, and fair": "good" refers to the organoleptic properties of the food; "clean" refers to the sustainability of a food throughout all stages of production; and, finally, "fair" refers to respect for farmers and workers in the sector. This comprehensive sustainability approach combats the use of chemicals, promotes sustainable packaging, and pursues social justice in the workplace.

The project is competing for the 2019 edition of the Non Sprecare Award. To learn more about the competition and participate, go to here!

If you liked the project, share it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

THE PROJECTS COMPETING FOR THE NON SPRECARE AWARD:

Want to see a selection of our news?

Sign up to our newsletter clicking here;
We are also up Google News , activate the star to add us to your favorite sources;
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram e Pinterest.