The regional councillor for Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Alessandro Beduschi, participated in the meeting of the Institutional Committee of the GAL Garda e Colli Mantovani, held in Cavriana (MN). The meeting was attended by representatives of the ten member municipalities of the GAL, as well as public and private partners of the company.
GAL Garda and Colli Mantovani: A Future of Development
“With this assembly – commented Beduschi – we took stock of the current programming and especially the next one, with which the Garda and Colli Mantovani GAL will have at its disposal until 2027, 4 million of the 67 total made available by the Region for the 16 'development strategies' presented by the regional GALs and aimed at interventions for the socioeconomic improvement of rural communities”.
A Territory of Opportunity
The territory of the GAL Garda e Colli Mantovani, which includes ten Municipalities between the provinces of Brescia and Mantua, represents a variety of economic, environmental and social realities. While the coastal Municipalities are renowned for their strong tourist appeal, those in the hinterland maintain an uncontaminated environment and a significant cultural heritage. The Municipalities involved in the province of Brescia are Desenzano del Garda, Lonato del Garda, Sirmione and Pozzolengo. For the province of Mantua, the Municipalities involved are Castiglione delle Stiviere, Volta Mantovana, Monzambano, Cavriana, Solferino and Ponti sul Mincio.
Valorising the Hinterland
During his speech, Councilor Beduschi emphasized the opportunities offered by the GAL experience to concentrate specific resources on these territories. “A lot can be done, for example by facilitating the movement of tourists via electric bikes – said Councilor Beduschi – as well as by creating charging stations and parking lots, promoting festivals, events, demonstrations that help deseasonalized tourism, investing ideas and resources in directing the tourist offer to the many foreigners who crowd Garda”.
Support for Agricultural Businesses
The GAL will be able to play a positive role for agricultural companies, especially in terms of training, starting agritourism and promoting direct sales of food and wine products. By strengthening marketing and communication, it will be possible to invest in increasingly sustainable companies and farms.
Intermunicipal and Interprovincial Collaboration
“Collaboration between the ten GAL Municipalities is essential to achieve lasting and tangible results,” concluded Beduschi. “Effective coordination is fundamental, as is the ability to implement inter-municipal and inter-provincial projects. I hope that the experience of the Garda and Colli Mantovani GAL can be a model for all the Lombard GALs and other national entities.”
The meeting of the Institutional Committee of the GAL Garda e Colli Mantovani highlighted the potential for economic, social and environmental development of the territories involved. With targeted programming and collaboration between the Municipalities, the GAL can become a successful model for the enhancement of rural communities at regional and national levels.
