By Lia Zucchello
The association Tempi di Recupero is truly a benchmark for environmental and social food and wine sustainability. Founded in 2013 among the hills of Romagna, this nonprofit cultural reality is a spokesperson for an ethical food supply chain based on food recovery and the enhancement and redevelopment of culinary traditions, bringing to kitchens and tables a true ecological revolution, between the recovery of ancient recipes and green synergies. Started by organizing thematic dinners, the association today, operates and manages an international network of professionals and a constellation of initiatives and events, under the leadership of President Carlo Catani.
The Reclaimers Network is a network of chefs, artisans, winemakers, ice cream makers, bartenders and local communities who cooperate together in sharing and transmitting collective values, striving to promote sustainable practices in both the culinary and social and environmental spheres. The association is a virtuous example of how tradition, innovation and sustainability can converge into real change, all to be enjoyed.
Raw materials and tradition
Their mission, outlined in the Recovery Times Decalogue, encourages a circular kitchen where everything must be recovered and enhanced and a reflection on the environmental impact of each of our food choices. They promote a conscious use of gastronomic resources, reducing waste and encouraging the integral use of raw materials. In fact, waste, such as the fifth quarter, is often overlooked in kitchens, generating one of the main causes of environmental impact in the food supply chain.
They also redevelop the role of inns, encourage the recovery of traditional recipes and the use of wild herbs. The association is committed to promoting the importance and necessity of protecting the land and water management, valuing respect for the environment in its landscape, morphological, economic and cultural dimensions. Many of the proceeds from the initiatives, in fact, are allocated to projects for the regeneration of territories and preservation of biodiversity.
Recovery Times also actively supports the spread of sustainable production and the growth of ethical realities, encouraging the adoption of new green habits in daily life such as the use of sustainable packaging in kitchens, rooms and events, the use of washable material and the family bag, to take home what has not been consumed at the restaurant.
Synergies of taste
The heterogeneous network of Recovery Times has enabled interaction and cooperations between different realities and communities, activating synergies with other sustainable projects and giving rise to a multitude of initiatives.
In addition to outreach programs, training, consultations, conferences and contests on sustainabilitỳ and gastronomy, the association has initiated the Pianetto Recovery Festival, a convivial occasion in which to meet, get to know each other and plan together through dinners, tastings new opportunities and markets pe enhance the work of producers.
Recovery Times Week, on the other hand, is an international week dedicated to recovery in the kitchen, with the participation of professionals from the food supply chain and consumers, “each participant has carte blanche to build their own dish, their own menu and tell about awareness and recovery at the table.”
While the association’s experience is recounted in the book Times of Recovery, a manual of recipes and in-depth texts on the topic of recovery and its economic and social value with speeches by chefs, in 2022 comes out Kilometer Aware, a book written jointly by Carlo Catani and Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food, in which the complexity of sustainability is explored, addressing issues such as the short supply chain, the quality of local products and the importance of an ethical approach to food production and consumption.
Recovery Times demonstrates its social commitment by allocating event proceeds to numerous initiatives such as those of the Foundation Beyond The Maze, which promotes the inclusion of young people with autism. In addition, by applying circular and collaborative models, the association fosters local economic value creation by supporting small businesses, such as winemakers and artisans, and encouraging practices that improve the economic resilience of communities.