OpenAgri, a vision of sustainability

Recently the municipality of Milan contacted us to tell them about our experience regarding the project OpenAgri.

Let’s go step by step and share with you how this project was conceived as a real contribution from the ( Carta di Milano )which aims at: “ protecting the future of the planet and the right of future generations to live prosperous and fulfilling lives, in line with the principles of environmental sustainability and fairness“. Based on these general and shared principles, the Municipality of Milan has made available a structured path for enhancing peri-urban areas, using the UIA call ( UIA ). The historic farmhouse: Cascina Nosedo as well as the 30 ha of land surrounding it are part of the project and set the frame for interested companies to present their ideas and technologies to transform the area. We too are among these companies.

Thanks to this experience, OpenAgri allowed us to get to know the partner companies with whom we share the objective of involving urban areas directly, for the first time, in a large-scale experimentation laboratory that identifies innovative and visionary solutions.

Therefore, let us imagine the peri-urban landscape as a productive garden where people are involved in reforestation “ food-forest” ,applying the principles of reuse and recycling while learning from nature and trying to imitate it as best they can.

Let us take an example and imagine walking through a wood in the outskirts of Milan. While walking we are not aware of the fact that the plants work for us, purifying the contaminated land. As we stroll ahead, we come across a greenhouse where microalgae are cultivated. These microalgae live thanks to the recovery of minerals from by-products of the food industry . These by-products are transformed into soil improvers that contribute together with the forest cuttings to feeding a thermal composter that provides heat to the greenhouse. In front of us, we will see a swimming pool where these little microorganisms work for us , and have us enjoy the show.

Our walk continues and takes us to some other interesting places of this forest garden: we discover urban flowers that enchant us with their beauty, while the beer project invites us to take a pleasant break from our walk. Just imagine! And think about the impact this vision could have: companies that create jobs, contaminated land gets recovered, apark at the gates of the metropolis as a green lung .