For CREA and MASAF, EStà facilitates “Connessioni in campo”

A service for CREA and MASAF

From 10 to 12 May 2026, EStà supported CREA and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (MASAF) in designing and running the participatory activities of the Puglia Mini Camp, one of the main field-based action-research initiatives promoted as part of the Accademia Rete PAC – Connessioni Rurali project. The initiative, carried out in collaboration with partner regions and universities, involved 45 university students from across Italy in an experiential learning programme dedicated to agroecology and agricultural innovation.

The Mini Camp is one of the tools through which Accademia Rete PAC promotes dialogue between education, research and professional practice, creating opportunities for direct interaction between young university students, agricultural businesses, researchers, institutions and stakeholders in rural areas.

EStà’s facilitation

In this context, EStà was tasked with designing and facilitating the processes to engage participants, supporting the various stages of the programme and fostering the development of meaningful relationships between students and host companies.

The work – carried out by partners Francesca La Rocca and Giacomo Petitti da Roreto – focused on creating the necessary conditions to ensure that the field experience became an opportunity for collaborative learning and the exchange of different perspectives. Through participatory methodologies, facilitation activities and action-research tools, the students were guided in critically observing the organisations they visited, gathering information and jointly processing the knowledge acquired.

The first day was devoted to building the learning community and preparing for the fieldwork. Through group activities, opportunities to get to know one another and the presentation of methodological tools, the participants began to develop a common language and a shared approach to analysing the farms that would be visited over the following days. Discussions with local stakeholders and key players also played a central role, designed to offer students a broader understanding of the regional dynamics that characterise Apulian agricultural systems.

The fieldwork enabled participants to engage with two particularly significant examples. At the La Querceta farm in Putignano, the students explored models of extensive livestock farming, organic production and the integration of agricultural activities with food processing. At the Maria Elisa Venezian Scarascia Estate run by CREA in Rutigliano, on the other hand, they were able to learn about the Apulia Regenerative Cotton project and observe practical applications of agroecological practices and innovative agroforestry systems aimed at regenerating natural resources.

During the visits, EStà’s role was to facilitate interaction between students and the farms, encouraging the exchange of questions, observations and reflections that would help link the theoretical knowledge gained during their university studies with the practical challenges faced daily by those working in the agricultural sector. Particular attention was paid to developing the participants’ skills and creating spaces for dialogue where different experiences and viewpoints could be exchanged constructively.

Brainstorming sessions and group work provided further opportunities for collective reflection. Through guided exercises in analysis and discussion, the students worked to identify opportunities, challenges and possible solutions relating to the topics addressed during the Camp, putting multidisciplinary approaches and problem-solving skills into practice.

The experience of the Puglia Mini Camp confirms the value of participatory methodologies as a tool for strengthening dialogue between the worlds of education, research and agricultural enterprises. At the same time, it highlights the importance of creating contexts in which learning can develop through direct experience, peer discussion and collaboration with local stakeholders.

Sustainable innovation in rural systems

For EStà, the work carried out within the Accademia Rete PAC represents an important opportunity to make expertise in facilitation, stakeholder engagement and participatory planning available to support initiatives that promote innovation, sustainability and the development of rural systems. This contribution forms part of the project’s broader commitment to building connections between knowledge, practices and communities, fostering collective learning processes capable of generating value for local areas.