After the long-lasting lockdown in Italy, due to the Covid-19 crisis, that limited consumers’ movements and forced the closure of farmers’ market and farmhouses, a new phase started in Italy and more than half of Farmers’ Market (FMs) belonging to Campagna Amica are once again ready to welcome consumers. Safety precautions are in place as well as new initiatives such as home delivery. The reopening means that consumers can once again obtain healthy and fresh agricultural products directly, with business opportunities for producers, and contributions to rural and local economies. During the lockdown, farmers belonging to Campagna Amica never totally stopped their activities and service for consumers. In fact, in Italy Campagna Amica activated the “Spesa contadina a domicilio” (farm produce delivered to your door) throughout the country, which consists of agricultural products supplied directly to consumers’ houses by farmers belonging to the Campagna Amica network, as well as the delivery of ready-made dishes, cooked in agri-tourism establishments belonging to Terranostra and Campagna Amica network. Moreover, with the help of the mobile application Campagna Amica, consumers had the possibility to find, region by region, those farmers who were providing food home delivering, contact them and make their order of fresh agricultural products. The application is also one of the key elements of the Italian pilot action of the Strength2Food project, aimed to stimulate the development of FMs in remote and disadvantaged areas by promoting the use of the smartphone application Campagna Amica. The lockdown led to a pause in the Strength2Food pilot action for FMs but, with their reopening, it is restarting.
