Ragusa will host the XXXII annual conference of the Italian Society of Agri-food Economics (Siea), scheduled from 27 to 29 June. The event represents an important meeting opportunity for researchers, teachers, entrepreneurs and public decision-makers interested in the economic problems of the development of the agri-food system.
The theme of this year’s Siea conference focuses on the importance of correct knowledge and an efficient system of innovations to make the agri-food sector sustainable from an environmental, economic and social point of view, particularly relevant in light of the ecological and digital revolution in progress. The three-day event will address the challenges linked to the adaptation of scientific research and higher education to the rapid changes in the production and consumption models of agri-food products, with the aim of encouraging the dissemination of knowledge and the adoption of innovations capable of inducing real changes in the behavior of the actors in the agri-food supply chains, from suppliers of production inputs to final consumers.
It was the president of the Siea, the Professor Biagio Pecorino, professor of economics of agri-food companies at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A) of the University of Catania, to propose holding the conference in Sicily, and in particular in Ibla. “The annual meeting of agri-food economics scholars is an opportunity to discuss also at an international level the role of knowledge and the impact that information has on the choices of entrepreneurs and consumers”, declared the president of SIEA. “Today we have a lot of data, but it is often of poor quality and interpreted incorrectly, with consequent risks for the development of businesses. We will discuss which data to use and how to interpret it to address emergencies, define the value chain in the agri-food system, and adopt product, process and organizational innovations, including by leveraging artificial intelligence and comparing adoption in US and European agri-food systems . Furthermore – continued the president – in Ragusa we are observing a high dynamism in the companies of the agri-food system, with the implementation of the “Greentech Mediterranean Innovation Hub” project financed with Pnrr funds. This project aims to create innovation ecosystems in Southern Italy, with the Banca Agricola Popolare di Ragusa as the implementing body and the University of Catania as the proposing body. The latter is currently developing a three-year course in Business Management for the sustainable economy (class L18) and, starting from the next academic year, will offer a course in Management of Mediterranean Agricultural Production Systems (class L25), promoted by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A) of Catania”. The appointment will take place in the former military district, headquarters of the SDS based in the Iblean capital, in particular in the ancient city.
