Day 3
The third and final day of the CIVICA study visit in Perugia was dedicated to exploring cooperative markets, community spaces, and solidarity networks, alongside a shared working session among the project's partners.
Birà Food Coop
The day started with a visit to Birà food coop, a collaborative market managed by a cooperative that brings together consumers, producers, and workers, using the sociocracy method for its governance. The market offers organic fruit, vegetables, and other goods from local farms, with a small share of conventional products to balance the offer. It is a place where consumers can buy quality food at affordable prices, while producers receive fair compensation for their work. The market also runs a restaurant that transforms unsold goods into meals, reducing food waste.
Orto Sociale di San Pietro
In the early afternoon, the group walked to Orto Sociale di San Pietro, a community-run urban garden bringing together university students, staff, and local residents. The garden welcomes anyone who wants to take part — elderly people, people with disabilities or special needs, and anyone wishing to join the community to grow vegetables, fruit, or herbs. Beyond gardening, it is a space for socialization and practical learning, offering students research opportunities and hosting workshops and training courses open to the public.
Gasp Zappe
The day continued with a visit to Gasp Zappe, an activist solidarity purchasing group based in Perugia, selling local products from small-scale producers while promoting waste reduction through a careful balance of supply and demand. The group is strongly committed to supporting people in need: on every purchase, producers and retailers apply a "social VAT," through which they have been providing free food support since the first lockdown in 2020, as part of a grassroots mutualism effort. Beyond food, the group also offers Italian language courses and material donations such as clothes and shoes.