Luigi Torreggiani racconta il valore della formazione forestale

Luigi Torreggiani talks about the value of forestry education

AKU has always walked alongside those who work in the mountains. Those who experience it every day as a mission, as a job, as care for the territory. Luigi Torreggiani is a journalist and forestry doctor, who has been documenting the world of Italian forests for years through reports, podcasts, documentaries, and books. We asked him what it means today to become a well-prepared forest operator.

AKU: Forestry training: what are we really talking about?

Luigi: Often, in the collective imagination, training in forest work is associated solely with safety. And it's a fundamental issue, of course, because forest work is inherently dangerous. But there's much more to it. The courses teach how to combine safety and productivity, they impart concepts of forest ecology and silviculture, and above all, they develop a new awareness in operators: that of having a delicate and precious role in caring for the territory. Training should not be seen as a bureaucratic formality, but as an indispensable tool to enhance the skills of individuals and promote the development of the entire sector. It is a true strategic factor that combines competitiveness, development, and sustainability.

AKU: What is the state of forestry training in our country?

Luigi: In Italy, professional training in the forestry sector has long been characterized by a strong heterogeneity, due to the presence of different systems and pathways from Region to Region. A decisive step came in 2018 with the “Consolidated Law on Forests and Forest Supply Chains” and with the implementing decree of 2020, which introduced minimum national criteria to make training courses more uniform throughout the country. The For.Italy project also played an important role in this process, initiating the standardization of forest operator and instructor roles and training 90 instructors who are now active in various areas of the country. Most Regions have now adopted this approach with coherent regulations, and in many of them, to work in the forest, it is necessary to attend at least one course and pass an exam.

AKU: How did the operators take it?

Luigi: At first, some turned up their noses, especially those who had been working for years and felt they had more than enough experience. But in many cases, attending the courses changed their minds. Training means expanding one's knowledge, testing oneself, and engaging with other colleagues on an equal footing. It's an experience that, when done well, rarely disappoints. And among young people today, there's a desire to go beyond what's mandatory: to delve deeper, specialize, and even become instructors themselves.

AKU: Is there a story that particularly struck you?

Luigi: Yes, that of a young man who left school very early to work in the woods. He thought that studying wasn't for him. Then he enrolled in the first course, almost out of obligation. And everything changed there. He discovered that he enjoyed understanding, delving deeper, even into complex things: numbers, forces, mathematics, and physics. He completed all available courses, one after another, and eventually became an instructor. Today he teaches younger students. When he received his last certificate, he organized a party with his parents. It had to be celebrated! For him, but also for them, that achievement was worth more than any diploma or degree.

AKU: What is needed now, for the future?

Luigi: A strong cultural shift is needed, which administrations and politics must support and facilitate. We need trained operators who know how to work well and safely, aware of their role and the risks. But we must also, as a society, overcome stereotypes associated with forest work, recognizing forest operators for what they are: “forest professionals” serving the territory. Valuing training will greatly help us in this as well. We have a great need for it.

Who is Luigi Torreggiani

Journalist and forest expert. He collaborates withSherwood – Foreste ed Alberi Oggi,L’Altra Montagna, the online daily dedicated to Italy’s mountain regions, andIl Tascabile, Treccani’s magazine. For Compagnia delle Foreste, he oversees communications for projects focused on sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation.