On 28 November, Rome – The SWITCH Marathon arrived at the Mercato di Campagna Amica in Rome, creating a space where researchers, institutions, farmers, and citizens could meet and reflect together on the future of healthy and sustainable food systems.
The morning unfolded among market stalls, and direct conversations with the local community. Participants took part in the SWITCH consumer survey, tested one of the project’s food innovations at the MyFreshFood corner, and engaged in an open dialogue on how everyday choices influence not only personal health but also local economies, rural territories, and the broader agri-food system.
The round table gathered voices from across the Food Hub Rome & Lazio. Speakers including Silvia Paolini, Anna Maria Laganà, Maria Palmieri, and Giuseppe Stocchi offered perspectives rooted in research, practice, and territorial experience.
Researcher Maria Palmieri highlighted the importance of visibility and support for producers’ ongoing sustainability efforts, sharing initial findings from the agroecology assessment conducted with 125 local producers. These insights pointed to strong commitments already in place, while also outlining areas with room for improvement, especially in relation to social equity and food waste reduction.
Giuseppe Stocchi of Coldiretti Roma emphasized the value of farmers’ markets as places where authentic dialogue naturally occurs. Markets, he noted, are environments in which producers and consumers exchange knowledge, strengthening trust and creating opportunities to share research and data in ways that are meaningful to the community.
The Marathon concluded with a tasting of products from local farms, a moment that reinforced the central idea of the day: that sustainable transitions begin by understanding and valuing what local territories already offer.
