In collaboration with Federalimentare and the Professor Maurizio Notarfonso – Specialist of europrogettazione, environmental policies and young entrepreneurs of Federalimentare, we organized a dedicated short course, for the Specialized Master in Agribusiness Management and for the other students willing to participate, on the Agrifood Industry on a National and European Level
A course of 4 classes aimed at providing the students with information on how the most relevant national food federation works and pursues the interests of the global food industry system in Italy. Moreover, the course will introduce the most important related topics which belong to the agrifood sectors in Italy and at EU level (namely sustainability, research and innovation).
COURSE CONTENTS
Research and Innovation in the Agrifood sector
Innovation in agriculture cuts across all dimensions of the production cycle and along the entire value chain from crop, forestry, fishery or livestock production to the management of inputs, to agro-processing and to market access. It may involve, for instance planting new crop varieties, combining traditional practices with new scientific knowledge, applying new pest control and post-harvest practices or engaging with markets in new, more rewarding ways.
Innovation holds the key to making farming and the entire agrifood value chain more attractive, creating business and employment opportunities and helping the last developed region to achieve food security, sustainable agriculture and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Innovation in practices and technologies can play a big role in developing the agricultural industry. This theme will shed the light on different technologies that include precision agriculture, hydroponics, early warning and crowd sourcing systems for the control of pests and diseases, desert agriculture, remote diagnostic, drones, gene editing, climate info services, digital extension and precision harvesting. Fostering an enabling innovative environment is pivotal for systematically reducing youth and women unemployment, rejuvenating the agricultural sector and creating new jobs along the value chain, including access to funding, start-ups, business incubators, seed supply chain, insurance schemes, public access to Information and communication technologies and skills development.
