On October 16th and 17th, Bagheria, in the splendid setting of Villa Palagonia, will host the sixth edition of Bio in Sicily, two days dedicated to sustainability and Sicily’s vocation, with particular emphasis on the Bagheria Plain and the Eleuterio Valley.
The “La Piana d’Oro” association and the Bagheria Slow Food Convivium, together with R&T s.r.l., the Gal Metropoli Est, and the support of the APO Sicilia Consortium, are organizing Bio in Sicily 2025, which will focus on four important regional forums. The event will feature seminars, talks, round tables, meetings, and debates coordinated by industry journalists. Participants will include entrepreneurs, representatives of institutions, universities, schools, professional associations, local action groups, local development experts, and professionals in the agri-food, food and wine, and sustainable tourism sectors.
The event will begin on October 16th with a morning session focusing on olive growing, entitled “Olive Culture and EVO Oil Production, Heritage of the Agricultural Tradition of the Bagheria Plain.” This session coincides with the final day of the Bagheria Identity, Tradition, and Culture Competition, now in its third year and aimed at students from primary and secondary schools in the Bagheria area. This time, the competition will focus on olive culture and the production of extra virgin olive oil, its organoleptic qualities, and will focus on nutrition education and the health benefits of consuming our local extra virgin olive oil.
The afternoon session of the first day will focus on the Slow Food Convivium of Bagheria with the talk “Certified agri-food products as a lever for local development and territorial marketing.” This will present the process of recognition of the Slow Food Presidium for the lemon and verdello lemon of the Bagheria plain. The event will be attended by Slow Food National Vice President Professor Francesco Sottile, professor at UNIPA, and regional president Fabio Di Francesco.
The morning session of the second day, October 17, will focus on the “Eleutero” River and Coastal Contract, consisting of the municipalities of Bagheria, Belmonte Mezzagno, Bolognetta, Misilmeri, Ficarazzi, Godrano, Marineo, Piana degli Albanesi, and Santa Cristina Gela. The conference will feature a discussion titled “Repurposing the Territory by Promoting the Bioeconomy of the Eleuterio Valley.” The mayors of the municipalities and the management of the entities involved in the protection and proper management of water resources and the redevelopment of the area’s agricultural and tourism offerings will participate.
On the afternoon of October 17, entrepreneurs, professionals, experts, and university professors will discuss the economic development of the Bagheria Plain in a talk titled “The Economic Suitability of the Bagheria Plain for Tourism, Food and Wine, Agri-Food, Cultural Heritage, and the Blue Economy.”
The evening of October 17th will see the closing event of the sixth edition of Bio In Sicily 2025, with a dinner. Proceeds will go toward funding the process of obtaining Slow Food Presidium recognition for the Bagheria Plain Lemon and Verdello Lemon. The event, organized by the Bagheria Slow Food Convivium, will be coordinated by Cuttia, with the supervision of Valerio Barone and Chef Angela Guzzo. Chefs Tony Lo Coco of the “I Pupi” restaurant, Nino Ferreri of the “LIMU” restaurant, Fabio Potenzano of the “Tutti a Tavola” restaurant, Francesco Fricano of the “Kalamo” restaurant, Santino Corso of the “La Strummula” restaurant, Paolo Bonanno, owner-chef of Sushi Way, Claudio Oliveri, owner-chef of “Oliveri 1964”, Salvo Lipari, owner-chef of “Saperi e Sapori”, Giuseppe Roccaforte, chef of the Stabile 159 restaurant, and Mauro Aiello of Maurone will contribute their culinary creations, showcasing local products. Wines from the Duca di Salaparuta winery will pair with the dishes presented, and in a crescendo of flavors and delicacies, the gastronomic journey will conclude with traditional desserts and liqueurs produced by local artisanal workshops.