The event featured 20 presentations by experts from some of Italy’s most prestigious academic institutions
In late October, the INC took part in the “Giornate Scientifiche SOI per il Comparto della Frutta a Guscio,” a scientific conference focused on the tree nut sector. The event was hosted by the Edmund Mach Foundation, a training, research and technology-transfer center in northern Italy that boasts approximately 700 collaborators, including food technicians, scientists, professors, researchers and farmers involved primarily in tree nuts and vine fruit.
The INC was represented at the conference by Pino Calcagni, a co-founder of the INC and Chairman of the Sustainability, Scientific & Government Affairs Committee. Mr. Calcagni began his lively talk by presenting the INC and outlining the basics of the organization’s membership and strategic plan. He then turned his attention to the INC’s reforestation project, a cornerstone of the organization’s sustainability strategy, and touched on the topics of farmers’ equal return, health for consumers and traceability. He rounded out his talk by providing a statistical overview of global tree nut production and consumption trends, with particular emphasis on the Italian and European markets.
The conference featured a total of 20 presentations by experts from some of Italy’s most prestigious academic institutions. Topics covered included germplasms, genetics and varieties; nurseries and rootstocks; soil management; plant physiology; diseases and mitigation strategies; and post-harvest management.
Photo: © Edmund Mach Foundation