Aryn Baker explores how oyster farming in La Spezia, Italy, not only provides a sustainable food source but also contributes to coastal protection and marine biodiversity.
Varrella’s oysters, with their deeply cupped shells and blue-green gills prized by Michelin-starred chefs, aren’t just a culinary product that could put La Spezia on the map; they are one of the rare, farmed products that contribute more to nature than they detract. One oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of ocean water a day, removing pollution and debris. Oysters naturally build reefs that foster biodiversity and protect surrounding habitats from erosion. Farming them requires no fertilizers, feed or antibiotics; they sequester carbon as they grow. For those keeping an eye on their carbon footprint, they are a tasty, guilt-free source of protein and nutrients. “Oysters are the perfect food,” Varrella told me, with the zeal of a new convert. “Everyone should be growing oysters. Or at least eating them.”