This is the message from Comagarden, the gardening machinery manufacturers’ association within FederUnacoma, the federation organising EIMA, the international agricultural machinery exhibition currently taking place in Bologna.
Italy’s 119 provincial capitals have a combined total of 190 square kilometres of green space. “This is a diverse resource,” says Lorenzo Peruzzo, President of Comagarden, “comprising woodland, parks and gardens, and the choice of machinery depends on the operating environment. We need to reduce noise and harmful emissions, but the choice between battery-powered machinery and machines with internal combustion engines should be driven by the work required rather than ideology.”
Peruzzo made these remarks during the conference “EVA: Energy, Green Spaces and the Environment for the Cities of the Future”, organised by Comagarden together with Assoverde and CREA, the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics. While innovation means choosing the best technology for each situation, Paolo Iacheri, President of Assoverde, believes it is equally important to apply the principle of subsidiarity, ensuring that the transformation of sustainability policies starts at local level, with local authorities. “Our aim is to reduce environmental impact,” says Iacheri, “but we must take everything into account, from productivity to compliance with labour regulations. Sustainability is fundamentally an ethical principle.”
In this context, CREA offers an example of why the system must be assessed as a whole, considering both the effectiveness of the measures implemented and environmental factors such as biodiversity. Only closer integration between businesses’ production capabilities and institutions, CREA stresses, can equip the ornamental horticulture and nursery supply chain to meet the challenges ahead.