Just over three years after its launch, the COSMO project, Cooperation for the development of the Einkorn wheat supply chain in Sicily, (funded by sub-measure 16.1 of the 2014-2022 PSR) is ready to deliver the final results during the conference which will take place in Palermo on Friday 24 May, starting at 9.30, hosted at the Addaura Village (Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo, 4452).
It will be an opportunity for the Operational Group, made up of the “Gian Pietro Ballatore” Research Consortium, lead body, CREA-IT of Rome and partner companies, to illustrate the agronomic, technological and nutritional aspects highlighted during the laboratory activities and field operations carried out.
“Objectives achieved”, anticipates the scientific manager Bernardo Messina, “Gian Pietro Ballatore” Consortium, who will moderate the event in which, among others, Antonino Drago, director of Area 3, of the Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries department will participate Mediterranean of the Sicilian Region and Stefania Masci, vice-president of the “Gian Pietro Ballatore” Research Consortium. Participation in the event will give the right to the recognition of CFP and ECM credits and Salvatore Fiore, president of the Order of Agronomists and Forestry Doctors of the Province of Palermo, will also be present for a greeting; Alessandro Pitruzzella, president of the Order of Biologists of Sicily; Daniele Romano, president of the Order of Food Technologists of Sicily and Sardinia.
Starting with the field testing of the adaptability of the two varieties of Einkorn wheat, Hammurabi and Norberto, in the areas of the partner companies located between Enna and Palermo, the project continued with the bread-making and pasta-making tests. “The importance of Einkorn wheat – explains Bernardo Messina – is not only due to the fact that it is the first wheat cultivated by man, over ten thousand years ago, of which remains have also been found in Sicily; or to the fact that the cultivation of Einkorn allows to obtain positive effects on an environmental level, because it does not require a high input of external inputs for fertilization; but even more so, because its characteristics make it suitable for transformation into products with a valuable nutritional profile”.
Furthermore, creating a complete supply chain of Einkorn wheat in Sicily means not only thinking about the production of bread and pasta and in fact transformation tests into biscuit products have also been carried out (thanks to the collaboration with the Cuttone bakery in Paternò, CT) and its aptitude for the production of malt for beer was verified. Finally, from a circular economy perspective, part of the straw produced in the demonstration fields was used to evaluate its suitability for use for energy purposes and for the production of briquettes (compressed straw), to be used to fuel gas boilers. biomass.
Laura Gazza – CREA-IT, Rome will report on this and more; Francesca Nocente, CREA-IT, Rome; Stefano Grasso, Agricola Valle del Dittaino cooperative, Enna, Assoro (EN); Andrea Brandolini – CREA-ZA, Lodi; Eugenio Tassinari, ASSOSEMENTI, Bologna; Sofia Ghitarrini, Seed Producers Company Spa – S. Severino Marche (MC); Giuseppe Toscano, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona. The partners will speak: Antonio Benedetto Rizzo (Az agr. Rizzo); Lorenzo Frasson, (Agr. Frasson); Salvatore Calleri (Az.agr. Calleri); Grazia Sicali (Agr. Sicali); Francesco Puma, (Agr. Puma); Massimiliano Solano (coop. Agr. Valdibella);; Filippo Drago (Molini del Ponte).
The conclusions will be entrusted to Biagio Pecorino, president of the Agricola Valle del Dittaino cooperative and Dario Cartabellotta, general manager of the Agriculture Department, Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Mediterranean Fisheries, Sicilian Region.
Place: palermo
