Natural parks and biodiversity
Piedmont is home to several natural parks, including the renowned Gran Paradiso (Great Paradise) National Park. The first national park in the country, created in 1922 on the site of a former royal reserve, it adjoins the Vanoise National Park established in France in 1963, thus forming a vast ecological corridor. Numerous hiking trails allow you to observe its sumptuous landscapes and some of its emblematic species, including the ibex. There is also the Val Grande National Park, in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, which is a large protected area, and the Valle del Ticino Natural Park, located in the province of Novara, , which protects some very beautiful forests.
Turin is home to parks and gardens that are both refuges for biodiversity and havens of peace for any visitor in search of peace and nature. These include the Valentino Park, the botanical garden of the University of Turin, and the parks associated with the royal residences or near the lakes, the Sacri Monti.The Slowfood movement and biodiversity from field to plate
In 1986, Carlo Petrini, sociologist and food critic, founded the Slowfood movement, recognized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, which has spread throughout the world. The organization aims to promote "healthy, clean and fair" food, to defend food biodiversity and a whole philosophy linked to the pleasure of food. The headquarters are located in Piedmont in Bra, a city that also hosts the University of Gastronomic Sciences. Every two years Slowfood organizes the Terra Madre event in Turin which brings together professionals from all over the world. Among other actions, the movement develops programs of education to taste, ecotourism around food, supports small producers, or identifies food products threatened with extinction (see: slowfood.it). The agriturismo network gathers organic farms that welcome visitors (for more information: www.agriturismo.it/fr).
Fight against pollution and environmental damage
One of the region's major environmental black spots is undoubtedly its poor air quality. Turin is among the European cities with the highest levels of fine particles. This is due to road traffic, industry, but also to intensive agriculture and livestock farming in the Po Valley (fertilizer spreading, liquid manure). It is also important to note that rice cultivation, which is very present in the region, emits methane and nitrous oxide, which are also powerful greenhouse gases. Agricultural effluents also have the effect of eutrophying rivers. Turin does, however, offer alternatives to car traffic (tramway, metro, self-service bicycles). The city can be explored on foot in all weathers, thanks to the network of arcades in the city center and the promenades along the River Po. Piedmont is accessible by train and offers many walking and cycling routes. The existing transport infrastructure would be sufficient to transport passengers and goods, according to the No Tav movement (meaning No treno alta velocità: no high-speed train), which is protesting against the Lyon-Turin link project, its environmental, health and financial costs, and is campaigning for more sustainable projects in the Susa Valley.
