Enpab, the biologists protagonists of the ecological economic transition

The III Congress of the National Agency for the Welfare and Assistance of Biologists is underway, president Stallone: "Figures capable of providing solutions for the sustainable management of resources"

ROME – Health declined according to the different areas of expertise of the biologist, also recognized as a healthcare professional. It is the central theme of the Third National Congress of the National Welfare and Assistance Agency for Biologists (Enpab), which kicked off today in Rome. The event, entitled ‘Providence is health. The future in our hands‘, is scheduled until tomorrow at the Auditorium della Conciliazione. A two-day event aimed at telling the history, work and foresight of biologists, enhancing the commitment of this professional figure in the protection of life in all its forms.

“The biologist – said Enpab president Tiziana Stallone at the beginning – represents an important professional figure of reference in the ecological transition of our economy. Starting from nutritional biologists, who with their work can educate on seasonality, recovery and planning for the benefit of the fight against waste of resources and to raise citizens’ awareness of a correct lifestyle”. But there are many other declinations for the professional figure of the biologist in this specific sector, such as the analysis of the quality of air, water, noise pollution, soil monitoring and reclamation, waste management. “Biologists – continued Stallone – are able to provide valuable solutions for the sustainable management of resources, the protection of biodiversity and the adoption of eco-compatible production practices“.

In Italy the total number of biologists is equal to 18,138, of which, in order of number of members, the top regions include: 2,820 (15.5%) in Campania; 2,467 (13.6%) in Lazio; 2,232 (12.3%) in Sicily; 1,915 (10.6%) in Lombardy; 1,459 (8%) in Puglia. The biologists’ welfare institution, meanwhile, has doubled its action: on the one hand it has continued to expand the forms of assistance that support the professional in times of need, on the other it has activated increasingly structured welfare initiatives active. Over the years, the biologists announced during the Congress, there have been “numerous technical interventions for the strengthening of social security benefits: the rate of the compulsory subjective contribution has gone from the original 10%, set by law, to the 15% desired with a change to the Regulation.

Similarly, the modular or optional one previously set at a maximum of 20% is now at 36%. The supplementary contribution paid by the customer has been increased from 2 to 4%, allocating the entire surplus to increase the value of the amount. Enpab obtained, not without difficulty, the recognition of the extension of the supplement to the extent of 4% also for the Public Administrations to guarantee fairness”. In this sense, some numbers demonstrate the success of this policy: “The the percentage of biologists who chose a rate higher than 15% in 2023 doubled compared to 2022, reaching over 10% of the total members. To date, Enpab has gone from 7% to 64% of female directors and is administered by both young professionals and silver workers, finally reflecting the composition of the membership”.

During the morning, the new edition of the ‘Let’s build health!’ project was presented. Biologists in schools’, promoted by Enpab in collaboration with the Joint Committee of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Merit. In the 2024/2025 school year, in particular, 100 Enpab biologists will be able to make their professionalism available with the aim of developing, increasing and disseminating to students and their families “food culture and awareness in consistent respect of the environment “.

The Project, aimed solely at students attending the third year of primary school, will be organized in frontal educational meetings with the students. There are over 80 schools involved throughout the national territory. The initiative follows Enpab’s ‘School Project’, which ran from 2014 to 2020, when it was interrupted due to the pandemic. Over the years, the project has involved a total of 1,000 professional biologists, with specializations in food and environmental matters, who have held experimental meetings and laboratories on health and environmental education within approximately 500 schools, also through pedagogical use of drawing and play.