What happens when a group of Sicilian farmers stand up to the Mafia, choose cooperation over fear, and build a future rooted in justice, community, and the land itself?

In this episode of Deep Seed, we sit down with Massimiliano Solano, co-founder of Valdibella, one of Sicily’s most inspiring agricultural cooperatives. From organic wine to social projects for migrants, Valdibella is proving that farming can be both regenerative for the soil and transformative for society.

🌱 Topics we cover in this episode:

• How Valdibella farmers resisted the influence of the Mafia in Sicilian agriculture

• Why the cooperative model is a powerful alternative to industrial farmin

• The transition from organic to regenerative agriculture and agroecology

• Social farming projects supporting migrants and marginalized communities, including NO CAP Italy

• The role of biodiversity and soil health in building resilient food systems

• Why young people should see farming not as a burden, but as a future of possibility and hope
  

This is a conversation about more than farming. It’s about land, justice, and the future of food. Whether you’re passionate about organic wine from Sicily, curious about cooperative business models, or searching for stories of communities fighting back against exploitation, this episode will leave you inspired… and ready to imagine what a different kind of agriculture could look like!

⸻

🔗 Links:

Valdibella - https://valdibella.com/

Deep Seed - https://www.deepseed.eu/

⸻

🎥 SOIL CAPITAL This episode was made in Partnership with Soil Capital - a company accelerating the transition to regenerative agriculture by financially rewarding farmers who improve soil health and biodiversity! https://www.soilcapital.com/

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.