Paolo Bosca

Organized by Center for Design History and Center for Applied Philosophy, Politics and Ethics, University of Brighton

title: Terra Against Territory: situated insights from Val Susa’s agri-cultural resistance

ABSTRACT

On the northern periphery of Turin lies the Susa Valley, one of the main transit routes between Italy and France. Nearly thirty years ago, a persistent social struggle began here. In the 1990s, the Italian and French governments decided to construct a high-speed train tunnel to connect the two regions with a faster railway than the one currently in use. Since then, a profound, resilient, and multifaceted resistance has grown in the valley, drawing participants and activists from across Europe and raising awareness about ecological, political, and social contradictions. Now, decades after the struggle began, I aim to explore one specific form of resistance that has proven both effective and sustainable in the long term: agriculture. Drawing on my research and long-term fieldwork with a local wine producer—whose vineyards lie mostly within the so-called "Red Zone," militarized since the conflict’s outset—I will examine this phenomenon, with a particular focus on agricultural strategies, unique characteristics, and future prospects. Finally, I will address methodological challenges and research questions regarding the situated nature of this study, opening the discussion for further reflection.