Reconciling new models of doing business with a vision of sustainable development, using love for one's land and ancient traditions as a glue.

The heart of the work of three young Calabrians can be enclosed in this concept. Domenico Vivino, graduated in political science and sociology with honors in Naples. Giovanna Bagnato graduated from the Art Institute of Squillace and Miriam Pugliese, with a passion for foreign languages, specialized in the tourism and foreign correspondence sectors. After having toured around Europe and Italy, in 2014 decided to find themselves in San Floro, a small town in the province of Catanzaro, and give life to the Nido di Seta cooperative, ancient jasmine production chain.

It is a strong bond that binds silk to Calabria and in particular to Catanzaro, one of the major production poles until the nineteenth century, tracing a real "Calabrian silk road". All indicated in documents preserved in the State Archives of Catanzaro: "After that period the breeding of silkworms remained in the peasant civilization as a subsistence activity to create their own kits until the time of our grandparents" explain the three founders. It is precisely from the knowledge of silk on the part of the elderly that Domenico, Giovanna and Miriam form the basis of their work, and then deepened in Thailand, India and Mexico.

Today, Nido di Seta actively contributes to the local economy. Their food productions, such as the mulberry blackberry (Kokusò variety), sold as a fresh product or transformed into delicious extra jams, or the "Moretto" liqueur, of great value as the species of blackberry with which it is prepared is included in the category of lost fruits such as Morus Nigra, are well known.

Not to mention the textile productions that guarantee uniqueness and quality, respecting the concept of environmental sustainability. The colors of shawls, blankets, tablecloths and runners are made exclusively with natural products such as poppy, mulberry blackberry, Tropea onion, broom flowers and walnut husk. But also, jewellery, rigorously handmade: from the breeding of silkworms to the reeling of the thread, from its twisting to its dyeing with natural products.

All this is part of tourist routes that combine craftsmanship, culture and art. A real virtuous circuit that today attracts thousands of people from Italy and abroad, as evidenced by the European partnerships with the Soierie vivante association of Lyon, France, and with the Swiss Silk consortium of Hinterkappelen, in Switzerland.

Returning to Calabria was an important challenge for you. Why did you choose the silkworm?

“San Floro was historically famous for the breeding of silkworms (from 1400), this tradition has had periods of great splendor and then lost itself in the last century.  Here, there was a mulberry grove of 3500 plants owned by the municipality that was in a complete state of neglect. We have created a redevelopment project of the area that we presented to the municipality asking to take over the abandoned mulberry grove with the aim of reviving the silk art in our village. The breeding of the silkworm is our main activity from May to September, they are raised cyclically and at the end of their life cycle, they give us the silk cocoon, which is the raw material of all our artifacts. Behind the silk processing, there are several artisans. We have created a silk supply chain 100% made in Calabria and of which 95% is female. We create different types of yarn and different types of products that are dyed exclusively with natural pigments and fabrics on ancient looms. The finished products are scarves, foulards, ties, jewels, fabrics for exclusive ateliers. Mulberry is the heart of our work. The leaves are used to raise the worm while the fruit is transformed to give life to certified organic jams, herbal teas and liqueurs ".

How has the market responded to your initiative?

“Our pre-pandemic activity was based on experiential tourism. Visitors here immerse themselves at 360 ° in the world of silk, living a unique experience. They buy our products and often stop for lunch in our agricultural restaurant. Then they talk about us to the people close to them. We have three sectors, agriculture (for the breeding of silkworms and the production of mulberry and agricultural products), craftsmanship with silk production and then tourism. In 2019, we welcomed over 6500 people from all over the world. Our business has a strong success abroad, 70% of the sales of our products takes place there ".

When was the idea of ​​your Academy conceived and what feedback have you had over the years? 

"The Academy was conceived in 2019. Here it is possible to follow targeted courses, from gelsiculture to  handcrafted heather, to the different methods of natural dyeing and handcrafted weaving. Our courses last a weekend and are divided into themes. In its first year of life we ​​had an excellent response. We had participants from Finland, Argentina, England, Spain and Slovenia as well as people from different parts of Italy ”. 

How does the “Adopt a mulberry” initiative work?

"Adopt a mulberry tree is the campaign promoted by Nido di Seta in the wake of an increasingly widespread approach among small agricultural realities that want to establish a direct, transparent and genuine relationship with the consumer, to establish a bond - not just commercial - from which everyone benefits. The mechanism is very simple: anyone who wants it, from all over the world, can adopt one of the mulberry trees of San Floro, obtaining in exchange the products of the cooperative they prefer, whether it is agri fashion (silk yarns and fabrics) or gastronomic goodness. The adoption is annual and renewable, guarantees an adoption certificate (you can also choose to give it as a gift), constant news on the health of the tree, the possibility of seeing the adopted mulberry up close, when it will be possible to visit the company. And, of course, the sending of the requested products - shipping costs included - according to the quota destined for adoption: the products range from jams, herbal teas and soaps to scarves and foulards in pure silk dyed with natural extracts and woven on our ancient looms . The adoption will support the entire supply chain of small artisans in the area that has been set in motion starting from the cultivation of mulberry, today at the center of a virtuous circuit of sustainable economy ".

 How important is the land and tradition to you? 

"Our keywords are environmental and landscape protection, territorial growth and sustainable development. We intend to start from the land, ours, by exploiting the resources that the latter offers us. The whole process of manufacturing the silk yarn is purely handcrafted, following the ancient methods, the innovation is in the various natural dyeing techniques, the products that are created is our relationship with the market, greatly diversifying our offer. Silk is the most precious agricultural product there is and around this we have orchestrated agriculture, crafts, training and tourism”.

What was the response of the territory to your work? 

“At the beginning there was a lot of disbelief and distrust for our project as it is far from local job prospects. However, the multimedia visibility, the thousands of people who flocked and the impact they have had at an economic level on the territory have eradicated any hesitation. Today the territory supports us “.

 One of the main problems for companies in the South is the difficult relationship with the institutions. From an entrepreneurial point of view, what were the difficulties but also the positive feedbacks you have had? 

“Even today we work without the connection of electricity which after almost 5 years from the request has not yet arrived. We had to create a system of autonomous photovoltaic panels. There was no drinking water and we had to make all the connections. Everything was missing and to face all the situations takes a strong attitude of problem solving, creativity and a lot of passion. Believing and loving what you do is the key ingredient. Despite the countless sacrifices and endless working days, the results were not long in coming: many national awards were won, many TVs from all over the world visited our reality and many people came to visit us ".

What has your reaction been to the difficulties due to the numerous blocks caused by Covid?

"The pandemic has brought the third sector to its knees and we have not been spared either. We thought that if people cannot come to us we could go to them by creating kits that would give the opportunity to anyone who wants to take part in our production process by living both the experience of silkworm breeding and silk spinning, staying comfortably at home. The latter, the PeaceSilkit, is the first kit in the world that offers the possibility for end users to produce their own silk, the non-violent silk, which involves a manufacturing process that does not involve the drying of the chrysalis inside the cocoon, as with conventional silk, but respects the natural life cycle of moths. JurassikBac (kit for raising silkworms) was also born following the same conceptual path. Thanks to this kit ,it is possible to experience firsthand the breeding experience of the silkworm up to the birth of the moths and the laying of the eggs. During the lockdown period, many boys and girls, but also adults, experienced the thrill of raising silkworms in their own home. As anticipated in the Christmas period we launched the campaign #adottaungelso, through the adoption of a mulberry tree you can receive both agri-food and silk products at home. Anyone can adopt a mulberry tree and can safely give the adoption as a gift. The feedback was positive, today we have more than 150 trees adopted but our goal is to reach 500 so we can't wait to see your names hanging on our trees".