72 Hours of Biodiversity

Three days for biodiversity in Scandicci

Every year, around May 22nd (International Day for Biological Diversity), the 72 Hours of Biodiversity festival brings Scandicci to life in the Metropolitan City of Florence, Tuscany. For seventy-two hours, the Parco e Castello dell'Acciaiolo, along with the House of Agrobiodiversity and the Diversity Gardens at Vingone, become an open-air laboratory where farmers, researchers, artisans, and citizens meet to discuss how agricultural diversity is a fundamental common good for building more resilient and sustainable food systems.

Who organizes the festival

The event is promoted and organized by Rete Semi Rurali ETS, an association bringing together entities committed to the conservation and sustainable use of peasant seeds, in collaboration with the Municipality of Scandicci. The festival is realized with the support of numerous agroecological organizations—including WWOOF Italia, DEAFAL, COSPE, Mani Tese, the Tuscan Horticultural Society, Km Vero, and Ricciorto—under the patronage of the Tuscany Region and the Metropolitan City of Florence, with contributions from Fondazione CR Firenze, Patagonia, CIRFOOD, and Qualità & Servizi.

What happens during the 72 Hours

The heart of the festival is the Diversity Market, where organic and artisanal producers offer vegetables, evolutionary grains, preserves, and local products. Alongside the market, numerous hands-on workshops are held, designed to encourage learning by doing:

• Bread-making with ancient and evolutionary grains
• Fermentation and food preservation
• Beekeeping and the world of bees
• Cheesemaking and natural soap-making
• Spinning, basketry, and traditional peasant crafts

There are also thematic exhibitions such as "Resilient Herbarium," "Farmers on the Road," and "Resilient Rice," public meetings on agroecological supply chains, seed-swapping sessions, theatrical performances, concerts, yoga sessions, and drum circles, as well as guided trekking on the hills of Scandicci. There is also space for the little ones, with games, readings, and educational activities dedicated to biodiversity for children and families.

An event rooted in the Tuscan territory

More than just a fair, the 72 Hours of Biodiversity is an opportunity to reflect on the future of agriculture, ecological transition, and the value of free seeds. The event takes place between two symbolic dates, the National Day of Agricultural and Food Biodiversity (May 20th) and the International Day for Biological Diversity (May 22nd), and over the years, it has become a benchmark for the Italian and European agroecological movement, hosting international networks and coordinators in Scandicci.