In the Spotlight: Giulia di Crescenzo Passionate to revolutionize farming with Aquaponics. “Solutions already exist. I provide access to know-how.”
Feel the Italian fire in her heart, listen to her talk in our interview. Giulia is on a big mission to spread the know-how of an innovative and climate-resilient farming practice, known as Aquaponics. It's a sustainable method to increase the production capacity of farming facilities mainly indoor (greenhouses, warehouses, backyards, and malls). In London, trendy bars, restaurants, and organic supermarkets get their salad greens from the first commercial aquaponic farm suited to the roof of a shopping center in Stratford. In the eyes of eager Giulia, this is a great example of how to make the relatively low investment in an aquaponic system profitable. Something a lot of small farmers in Italy are reluctant to do because "they are afraid of changing their ways" as Giulia says. She understands the pressure they are under to provide for their families and still make the transition to another work method and investment. "I do know that the only way to survive is to adapt. My country is in a crisis, and the climate is changing. I want to give people a real solution. Something they can do! Together with my father, who has nine years of experience in the field, I am running an Aquaponics training center in the countryside of Tuscany and a virtual library. We teach and show people how sustainability can go hand in hand with productivity. Giulia re-invests a part of her own profits in training programs for vulnerable social groups and scientific research in the field. Check out her website for the Aquaponics manual and some further education at www.my-rivendell.com