Sociocoltura. La riscoperta del rapporto con la terra come "balsamo" per la società ibrida urbana

Abstract

What is the role of agriculture in contemporary societies? Two thousand years ago, Cicero stated that tending fields is among the noblest occupations for grown men, but our contemporary lifestyle seems to have forgotten that lesson. For a very long time, agriculture has been considered a relic of ancient times, and not to be pursued by techno-friendly citizens. However, we are experiencing a renaissance of attention and importance, as urban gardening and other innovative forms of agriculture and horticulture are spreading throughout our hyper-technological postmetropolises. These forms of crop tending are also stimulating new forms of relationships, spurring people to regain some control over their lives and spend some time closer to Nature. We do not have to idolize or romanticize what is happening today, but these phenomena share some common ground with the environmental awareness that is (arguably) slowly affecting our perception of the world, as even movies and fiction seem to point out. Therefore, crop tending is now probably becoming a form of society tending, or socioculture.