The Oromo(ethnic group from south-central Ethiopia) farmer, businesswoman and ecologist who emigrated to Italy due to conflicts derived from her activism against injustices in the agricultural sector, was considered by ‘Legambiente’ as a symbol for the sector and the communities of kilometer zero in the Alps.

Among other recognitions, Gudeta received in 2020 the Green Flag of the organizations “for the determination and passion in carrying out an important example of territorial defense, sustainable entrepreneurship and integration”, and in 2019 she was a candidate for the Environmentalist of the Year Award in Italy.

In her business ‘Happy goat’, she made delicious cheese in Frassilongo, in the Mocheni valley, province of Trento, recovering the ancestral knowledge in breeding that she learned from her grandparents.

“It is not an easy undertaking. It cost her death threats with a clear racial imprint. Legambiente wanted to dedicate a thought to her and to all women who become victims of violence, remembering that, through work, such as agriculture, it is possible to emancipate and be truly free”, the organization said.

The occasion also helped recognize good agronomic practices having women as protagonists, and an award was granted to Mónica Raspi, who produces organic wine in Pomona, most traditional heart of Chianti Classico.

The same recognition received Assunta Valente, a shepherdess who works in the mountains of Frosinone, on the border with Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise Park, who is also in danger and the target of threats and intimidation, with acts of brutal violence against her livestock and land, the organization denounced.

They also appreciated the work of Valentina Capone, from Amatrice, a village in Bagnolo, in central Italy, who produces high quality honey and was the winner of the first place for two consecutive years in contest ‘Great wild flower honeys’ in the province of Rieti.

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