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June/Jul y 202 2 I MAGAZINE AT PAGE 1 Clouds on the horizon? Remaining optimistic Exactly one year ago I found myself writing an editorial that - I won’t deny it - I had longed for. We had just come from almost two years of continuous ‘stop and go’, fears about a pandemic that had completely disrupted our existence and uncertainties about our activities that were slowly trying to find a new balance. And finally, it seemed that the turning point had arrived! Well, just a few months later, new and unexpected events are creating quite a few worries: economies are reeling from the fallout of the war in the Ukraine, increases in raw materials, energy and petrol costs, the consequences of climate change and Covid-19 with the rise of contagions. Beyond the immediate humanitarian aspect of the conflict, the combined impact of all these factors has triggered a global crisis that we must be alert to. How is the restaurant industry reacting to these unknowns? According to data collected and processed by the Fipe-Confcommercio Studies Office, the general price hike in June only partly affected the restaurant and bar sector (4.4%). Inflation seems to be affecting hotels, bed and breakfasts, farm-tourism, hostels and campsites more. A moderate increase, however, is compounded by other important critical issues. Firstly, the lack of personnel in public establishments. Among the most sought- after positions is that of waiter: waiting is apparently considered unattractive by young people. Is citizenship income to blame? Only partly. The reasons are many and deep. Another sword of Damocles for the sector, the wheat crisis which, of course, closely affects chefs and pizza makers. A critical situation that embraces many countries, including Italy where tradition and excellence in pasta and dough is unparalleled. But fortunately, there are also positive stories, like the one we present in our cover story, which still gives us hope for a better future. This is the story of a chef, Paolo Marigliano: a career in luxury restaurants and hotels. Then Covid-19, and perhaps also the desire to do something new, led him to embrace a very special project: that of Etico Food, a Roman non-profit organisation set up in 2018 with the aim of giving a job opportunity and social inclusion to people with disabilities working alongside catering professionals. A story that brings to mind the words of a well-known Italian song: ‘e rinasce un fiore sopra un fatto brutto’ (and a flower is reborn upon an unpleasant occasion)... This is my hope for the future ahead. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get on with it! Enjoy your read! By Lorenzo Morelli AT PAGE 3 Culture, people and territory Food is a cultural event. The transition from nourishment to cultural event takes place at the moment when humans manipulate, transform and cook; making something different from what they find in nature. Every culture has its own iconic foods. The preference of some foods, at the expense of others, is driven by geographical, environmental, economic, historical and religious elements. The case of cows in Hindu culture and religion is a prime example. Initially cattle were offered as sacrifice, following which participants feasted on the slaughtered meat. An increasing population led to a JUN/JUL 2022 MAGAZINE Traduzione a cura di Christopher Farley