Nadia Savino (born in 1982) is an agricultural entrepreneur and the founder of BioLu, a farm based in Calvi where she grows, processes, and markets ancient grains. She proudly defines herself as a farmer.
In 2022, Edagricole awarded her a special mention for her pioneering work in agri-food supply chain traceability. Two years later, she received the Alternative Agricultural Productions Award in the “Sustainability” category at EIMA International.
After earning a degree in Economics from LUISS University and completing a double degree program in the United States, Nadia decided to return to her hometown in Irpinia, along the ancient Appian Way. With the support of funding from a start-up competition, she converted her family’s business into an eco-sustainable farm.
There, she developed and successfully tested an innovative model that combines environmental protection with resilient, responsible agriculture. She practices regenerative farming, focusing on biodiversity and transparency, and has integrated a blockchain-based traceability system to guarantee consumers full transparency on product origins. She also dedicates herself to the preservation of biodiversity, using digital technologies to archive and protect endangered seeds—especially those of fruit trees and traditional vegetables.
Nadia often says that her company was born out of gratitude to her family, and from the desire to provide wholesome food for her daughter Lucia, who was still in her womb when she made the decision to return home.
Her grain of choice is wheat—the quintessential symbol of nourishment and of her homeland. She chose it out of affection and memory: of her great-grandmother, who told stories about gleaning in the fields, and of her father, who as a child helped tie the gregne (sheaves) for the Festa del Carro in Fontanarosa.
Although cultivating traditional grains brings low yields and high costs, Nadia explains that it can still be rewarding for farmers who manage to close the production chain—from seed to finished product—because it allows them to recover value at every stage of transformation. She envisions agriculture as a prism: it begins with cultivation, but from it radiate many colorful beams of light, each one capable of creating new forms of income.
Today, her products reach consumers all over Europe through CrowdFarming, a digital platform that connects producers directly with consumers, eliminating intermediaries.
While much of her business is now digital, many traditional practices remain deeply rooted at BioLu—milling is still done on stone, preserving techniques, scents, and flavors that once seemed lost.
She fondly recalls her grandmother’s kitchen, a place of serenity and memory: the coccetelle, simple dough made of water and flour, dropped into boiling water and served with tomato sauce, salted ricotta, or the classic dishes of Irpinian tradition, such as accio e baccalà (celery and cod), gently smoked over the fire on Christmas Eve.
Interview by: Helga Sanità
Video by: Danilo Pavone
Video Editing by: Danilo Pavone
Document by: Helga Sanità
Subtitle ita/eng by:
Translation by: Helga Sanità
MedEatResarch – Center of Social Research on the Mediterranean Diet of the University of Naples Suor Orsola Benincasa, head by Marino Niola and Elisabetta Moro
Realized: 27/02/2025
