Apogeo, declino, riconversione di un paesaggio. Geostoria dello zucchero in Romagna nell’ultimo sessantennio

Starting from the late 19th century, on the basis of the positive experiences which had taken place in France and Germany, the sugar beet, in the broader context of a growing demand of sugar in Italy, was progressively introduced in the Po Plain, in particular in the Po River Delta and in Romagna region (Northern Italy), where climate and soil conditions were compatible with this cultivation. Sugar beet became prevalent in the agricultural landscape of Romagna plain until the middle of the 20th century, while from the late 1960s it experienced a progressive regression due to the agricultural policies of the EEC. After a strong decline in the early 1990s, the total collapse of the sugar beet sector in Italy dates back to 2006, when the EU reduced the quotas of production per country: in Romagna all the plants processing the sugar beet were closed; the landscape of sugar beet almost disappeared. Currently, EU sugar quotas have been cancelled, but a significant return of this cultivation seems unrealistic and uneconomical at the regional level. The abandoned plants, now considered as cultural heritage and industrial archaeology, should be conserved and regenerated for other purposes: some positive practices have been undertaken, as in the cases of the former sugar factories of Classe (Ravenna) and Cesena, recently converted, respectively, to a museum and office and University accommodation.