Pietro Leemann

I was born in Locarno on July 24, 1961. Back then, the prescription for young people growing up to develop physically and mentally was to eat meat twice a day. Sugar was also touted as a viaticum to boost energy. Jams, although tasteless and rich in colorants, were not a symbol of progress. The quality of the harvest was not in question, the important thing was that the peaches and tomatoes were large, round and perfect, the lettuce watery so as not to shock the children who ate it.

Luckily for me, we had a vegetable garden at home which, although not organic, gave us an alternative to what the big retailers were offering.

At the same time, an earlier generation was still alive and connected to the traditional values of the land; I still remember the women in their traditional costumes from the Cannobina Valley, true forces of nature who came to help the now old farmers with mowing, tending and splitting wood.

Near the house there was a barn with a cow, lovingly bred by Nilde, where I went to get milk in the morning. The market in Locarno was still very lively, with small producers coming from the valleys to sell their vegetables.

Then they disappeared quickly, too quickly, and as if waking from a bad dream, I realized that the food and farming model that was touted as progressive at the time was going nowhere, neither for the impoverished environment nor for my health.

I was in my early twenties and, although I had experience in some of the best restaurants in Europe, I didn't feel well. In my relationship with myself, with the animals I loved so much, with my fellow human beings, with nature and with God. Inwardly, I had idealized an earthly paradise that was far removed from the reality I was observing.

Fortunately for me, I could see that others were experiencing the same thing as me, because in those years, lifestyles with new ways of thinking emerged that were basically as old as the history of the world.

Organic farming, permaculture, biodynamics and vegetarian nutrition.

The first holistic diets were also born, which were also based on common sense, the East, my great source of inspiration, and the way of life of our ancestors.

These should not be idealized at all costs, but the question should be asked: why did healthy food become industrial food? Why is a new way of life being tolerated that is obviously counterproductive in every respect?

The answer is a lack of knowledge which, if it is holistic, i.e. draws on observation of the external and internal world, makes people unassailable because they are aware of it.

Aware of the great opportunity to take part in a real revolution, I threw myself headlong into acquiring knowledge. I acquired knowledge by studying the prescribed rules for a healthy diet from Hippocrates to Ayurveda, by learning about farming from farmers who took a conscious approach and by growing my own food.

Then I became a vegetarian and realized how important it is what I eat. For my health, to feel at peace with Mother Nature, with a consciousness that evolves based on my choices. We are and become what we choose to do and eat.

After recognizing the characteristics that objectively make the difference, through Joia, through the books I wrote, through the many interviews, I dedicated myself to promoting those values that make life better through lived experience.

At Joia, we work with organic farmers and the food is an elixir of life for the physical and inner health of our guests.

How can we contribute to change? By leading by example and showing that any change we want is possible. After all, many people's lives are dedicated to trying to live as closely as possible to the universal principles inherent in every human being.

Together with Vera, we at Biosfera will wholeheartedly try to do just that.