On Saturday 22 June 2024, from 10:00 am, in the Sala Maschiella of the Umbriafiere Center in Bastia Umbra, the meeting organized by the CAT Umbria was held the day after the decision of the Councilor for Agricultural and Agri-Food Policies and the environmental protection and valorisation of Umbria to set limits to the free search for truffles. In fact, the Councilor, with his own amendment to the legislation on truffles, could have allowed the start of closure processes of the regional territory, with the generation of consequent dangerous defects in balance between the parties involved and the possible triggering of a serious conflict social, determined by the impossibility for truffle hunters to carry out their activity freely. The initiative had the participation of many truffle hunters, coming from the entire regional territory, with representatives also from neighboring regions, recalled for their sensitivity on the topic. The interventions of the Regional Councilors of Umbria of different political connotations, as well as of the local administrators, as well as the authoritative representatives of the scientific world, of the FNATI – National Federation of Italian Truffle Associations, of the National Association of Truffle Cities, were interesting. It was recalled that in 2021 Truffle Hunting and Quarrying in Italy: traditional knowledge and practices were included in the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and therefore the activity is protected by Law 20 February 2006, n. 77. At the conclusion of the debate it emerged that LR no. 12 of 2015 must be applied in its entirety, precisely because of the particular path followed since its approval and after having also passed the scrutiny of the Constitutional Court which, in its ruling, established social balance as a key principle. The legislation certainly can be perfected and the stop to his own initiative carried out by the Councilor is certainly appreciable, who with his own note highlighted that the basic objective that has moved and continues to move the Department is to safeguard the prerogatives and the value of free research, in full awareness of the indispensable identity, social and economic function that this activity has.
