PPILOW’s People: Martina Re!

My background is agroecology and specifically farming systems including animal husbandry. I am a Phd student at Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna and I collaborate with AIAB (the Italian Association for Organic Agriculture) within the PPILOW project with the task of coordinating the involvement of National Practitioners Groups in Europe and managing the Italian group on pigs. The challenge of our work is to facilitate the change in mind-set first and in the breeding techniques as a consequence, focusing on organic and other free-range systems. To do so we need to engage in the process not only farmers and advisers but also processors and consumers, as only a full awareness of all actors involved can lead to a change in the practices. The most enjoyable part of our work is the opportunity to get in touch with many innovative and passionate farmers.