“It’s essential for the outlying territories to be able to develop projects which are designed to create a community to a local level. These are projects that are capable of heating and brightening, of igniting the passions and desire to engage and that could also be places of gathering and thinking for and of the community” points out Marco Buratti, President of the Fire Cooperative.

In 2015 the territory of the Alpi Ledrensi and Judicaria, located between the Garda lake and the Brenta Dolomites in Trentino, obtained the recognition of Biosphere Reserve under the UNESCO Program “Man and Biosphere”. For the UNESCO application, the long tradition of co-management of public goods and the cooperation that was born right in this land in Trentino, were highlighted as iconic examples of the interaction between human and environment; hence the desire to enhance these specific features in the context of economic and social development too.

These are the priorities that led to the creation of the project “Fires in the mountain huts”, that will explore the possible innovations connected to the business management of public goods through original forms of social companies (as for example the community cooperatives). In addition to promote activities and local events of awareness raising and engagement both of the local community and of the network linked to the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, an aim of the project is to find and study management models that wouldn’t compromise the collective propriety and the use by the census of the goods, but will be able to increase the socio-economic value benefitting the community of owners. Furthermore this aim could encourage a renewed interest in the communities towards the management and use of collective goods in a modern and innovative way.

““In order to ensure a future to the mountainous territories” it’s fundamental to give value to the typical alpine highlands. The cooperation was born at a high altitude,in response to a series of needs that the society and the economy of that time couldn’t satisfy. Today, as yesterday, it’s necessary to produce social innovation. One of its most convincing forms is the regeneration of goods, also real goods, that belong to the community” underlines Fabio Berasi, President of the don Lorenzo Guetti Foundation.

The project “Fires in the mountain huts”, co-financed by the MAB UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Alpi Lederensi and Judicaria, was created by the cooperative of community development “Fuoco” and it will be realised in partnership with don Lorenzo Guetti Foundation and sports association Comano Mountain Runners.