Franco Iannelli has received the "Contadino dell'anno" recognition for traditional Campanian grains during Eruzioni del Gusto at the Reggia di Portici.
The award was reported by NTR24, which describes Iannelli's work as an example of custodianship of agricultural knowledge, biodiversity and community relationships. Nadia Savino, president of Slow Food Benevento, was present at the ceremony, according to the same report.
An award from land to table
The recognition belongs to "Premio Contadino dell'Anno – Dalla terra alla tavola", an initiative organised in collaboration with Slow Food Campania. The official programme presents it as a way to recognise and value farmers and their knowledge.
The framing is consistent across the available sources: the award connects agricultural work with territory, tradition and quality, and places particular emphasis on the role of farmers in preserving agricultural traditions, biodiversity, knowledge and relationships within local communities.
The sources do not publish the full list of recipients or the detailed selection criteria used for the recognition.
The setting: the eighth edition of Eruzioni del Gusto
The ceremony took place within the VIII edition of Eruzioni del Gusto, held from 23 to 26 October 2026 at the Reggia di Portici.
The event presents itself as a meeting and exchange point for food and wine culture, tourism, territories and local production, with a particular focus on volcanic territories, local production and food culture. The official programme places food producers, agricultural knowledge and territorial identity at the centre of the event.
For readers, this context matters: Eruzioni del Gusto is not only a showcase of products, but a forum where producers, associations and visitors discuss how food connects landscape, tradition and local economies.
Why traditional grains matter here
The recognition for Iannelli specifically concerns traditional Campanian grains. The available sources do not identify the particular varieties involved, nor do they provide detailed information about his farm, its location or its production methods.
What the sources do make clear is the broader value attributed to this kind of farming: maintaining older grain traditions supports biodiversity, preserves practical farming knowledge, and sustains relationships between producers and their communities.
For readers interested in Campanian food traditions, that link between seeds, knowledge and community is the central point of the award: the grains themselves matter, but so does the network of people who continue to grow, process and value them.
A note on the ceremony date
NTR24 reports the ceremony as taking place on Sunday 25 October, while the official event programme lists "Premio Contadino dell'Anno" under Saturday 24 October. The exact ceremony date therefore remains unresolved in the published sources consulted.
