Integrated research activities for the advancement of marginal areas through the promotion of knowledge and techniques that enhance agroecological, social, and economic food sustainability

Providing satisfying food as for both quantity and quality in order to face the increasing needs of the world population, without depleting the natural resources, is a challenge that become more and more difficult due to the present climate crisis and the strong competition among different sectors for energy, land and water. To deal with this challenge, the European Union has supported collaborative research projects under the NextGenersationEu action and derived national programs such as the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). Within the latter, the National Research Center for Agricultural Technologies-AGRITECH has been established. The research and technology transfer activities of this center focus on five main objectives: a) Enhancing sustainable productivity and promoting resilience to climatic changes; b) Reducing waste and environmental impact; c) Developing circular economy strategies; d) Stimulating the sustainable development of marginal areas; e) Promoting safety, traceability and typical traits in agri-food chains. Within this framework, activities devoted to the Valorization of traditional fruit productions of marginal areas through the transformation into non-perishable ready-to-eat foods have been conducted.