Carmelo Troccoli

He began his work experience in Coldiretti in 2002 as its Policy Advisor on issues related to intellectual property, international agreements and innovation in agriculture to community institutions in Brussels. Beginning in 2009, he initiate his nine year tenure as the National Secretary of Coldiretti Giovani Impresa (or Coldiretti Youth), for which he organised “Oscar Green”, the main competition on innovation in the primary sector. In 2016 he became Director of the Campagna Amica Foundation. It manages and promotes the world’s largest farmers market network of farmers’ direct sales operating under one umbrella (with more than 1,200 farmers markets throughout Italy). He has grown Campagna Amica to play pivotal roles in leveraging farmers markets to restart local food systems. These include the development of the World Farmers Markets Coalition, food education in schools, the strengthening of the Network of Social Agricultural companies, and work to defend and safeguard biodiversity. Of particular interest, due to Campagna Amica’s defence of biodiversity, Carmelo launched the “Campagna-Friendly Seals.” Built around the endangered products recovered by Campagna Amica market farmers, the seals were created to raise consumer awareness about the importance of conserving the unique heritage of the world’s food diversity and how their actions can defend it. After two years of research and action, more than 600 agricultural products have already been included in the list of Campagna Amica’s Seals.