Luigia e Simona Soffritti
Innovator
La petrosa
Italy
Economic
Farming
Rural village
The innovation journey
Luigia and Simona Soffritti are two sisters who, together with their brother Edmondo, run La Petrosa, located in Ceraso (SA), in the Cilento National Park, Campania. They have a small herd of cattle and goats and grow local crops, mainly traditional grains, and olives. When they inherited the 60-hectare farm from their parents, driven mainly by their great sensitivity to environmental issues, they began to implement several changes. They became an organic farm and began using regenerative farming techniques. For example, they practice rational grazing which allows for greater coal uptake in the soil and better animal welfare.
While their brother is mainly in charge of the fields, Luigia and Simona are directly involved in processing and selling the products and oversee the agritourism activities. Accommodation on the farm is provided in both double rooms and small apartments. There is also a camper area. Products are used in the farm restaurant and are sold through short supply chains. Luigia and Simona also organize workshops and laboratories related to sustainable food production and consumption, teaching for instance how to make bread and cheese.
The innovation impact
The activities and changes introduced are guided by a strong focus on promoting local products and preserving the ecosystem. They try to avoid waste as much as possible. For example, they produce hummus from agricultural waste; they have introduced a fixed, seasonal menu (which varies daily) in the restaurant where reservations are required; they use dispensers with liquid soap made from their olive oil in the chambers, etc. La Petrosa received the national “Ambassadors of Agroecology” award in 2023 from Legambiente, the most widespread environmental association in Italy.
In addition, in 2020 they were among the promoters of the local Rareche Rural Market, which involves farms that practice organic and natural farming as well as local artisans. To increase environmental awareness at the market, customers are encouraged to bring their own shopping bags, no plastic bags are used, and there is a collection of glass jars that are then reused by the farms participating in the market.