La Fattoria dell’Autosufficienza

La Fattoria dell’Autosufficienza is one of Italy’s best-known permaculture farms and ecological education centers, located in Bagno di Romagna in the Emilia-Romagna region. Founded by Rino Genovese, the farm serves as both a working demonstration of regenerative and self-sufficient agriculture and a learning hub where thousands of students and visitors each year engage with practical skills for sustainable living. The farm applies permaculture design principles to manage a diverse productive landscape integrating vegetable gardens, orchards, woodland, livestock, and processing facilities in a manner that mimics natural ecosystems and minimizes external inputs. Courses and workshops cover a wide range of subjects including organic and biodynamic gardening, food preservation, natural building, renewable energy, herbal medicine, and agroforestry. The farm also maintains a seed bank and actively promotes the conservation of traditional crop varieties. As an educational institution, La Fattoria dell’Autosufficienza has played an important role in spreading permaculture knowledge across Italy and has inspired numerous projects and communities throughout the country. Its model demonstrates that small-scale, ecologically managed farms can be productive, economically viable, and deeply educational, making a significant contribution to the broader transition toward sustainable food and land management in Italy.