Strengthening of the Italian Research Infrastructure for Metrology and Open Access Data in support to the Agrifood
Sustainability in Agrifood: Why It’s Important to Promote It, Not Just Practice It
It’s not enough to do things well; it’s also essential to know how to communicate and promote them effectively. This is the perspective behind the recent decision by the European Commission to allocate €132 million to co-finance the promotion of sustainable and high-quality agri-food products from the EU, both within the internal market and globally.
The aim is to develop new market opportunities for EU farmers and the European food industry as a whole, while also helping them secure their existing activities. The funds available for programs to be selected in 2025 are divided between promotion in non-EU countries and the EU internal market, with €63.4 million and €58.6 million allocated, respectively. Among the non-EU countries targeted for increased promotional activities are China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and North America.
The funds dedicated to the internal market will include information and promotional measures focusing on EU quality schemes, particularly protected designations of origin (PDO), protected geographical indications (PGI), and traditional specialties guaranteed (TSG), with a budget allocation of €17.1 million. Currently, over 3,500 designations of agrifood products and beverages are protected within the EU, aiming to ensure authentic products for consumers while preserving cultural and culinary heritage.
An additional €28.8 million will be allocated to programs aimed at increasing awareness and recognition of products produced organically and sustainably, including those adhering to stricter animal welfare standards. Furthermore, €12.7 million will go toward stimulating the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, while €10 million is earmarked for actions addressing severe market disruptions, loss of consumer confidence, or other issues.
Finally, the work program also includes a range of initiatives to be directly managed by the European Commission, such as promotional and informational campaigns, participation in trade fairs and events, and more.
This funding from the European Commission is particularly significant for the Italian agrifood sector, as highlighted by Claudia Zoani, coordinator of METROFOOD-IT, a research infrastructure funded under Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). METROFOOD-IT aims to support research and innovation in the agrifood sector.
“The funding announced by the European Commission is, above all, a clear signal of the immense attention being paid to sustainability, which is an essential condition for the future of the agrifood sector. Sustainable agrifood production is critical to ensuring long-term food availability, minimizing impacts on limited resources such as water and soil, and respecting human and animal health while fully embracing the One Health approach. Moreover, a focus on sustainability allows agrifood businesses to differentiate themselves and protect their high-quality products in the global market.
But it’s not enough to design sustainability and implement it in practice; it also needs to be communicated and promoted appropriately across various channels and to different audiences.
For this reason, the METROFOOD-IT research infrastructure is deeply engaged in research and development activities and service provision, leveraging its facilities and the expertise of its researchers. The goal is to develop and apply analytical methodologies, sensors, and portable devices to verify food product quality and safety, demonstrate origin, and verify the
authenticity of raw materials and products. This includes the development of analytical models based on artificial intelligence.
These activities—such as the project focused on the Piennolo cherry tomato in Campania—can help strengthen and improve the production specifications for PDO and PGI brands, benefitting operators in the sector and safeguarding the quality of Made in Italy products.
In this sense, I believe the funding announced by the European Commission can provide a significant boost toward sustainability and quality in both production and consumption throughout the agrifood sector—not only within EU countries but also in markets and countries with high growth potential outside the EU, which may be particularly interested in this promotional initiative”.