Integrated, sustainable and innovative, the Italian agri-food chain ensures efficient quality control and traceability of the entire product life cycle in compliance with strict regulatory standards of food safety and environmental protection.

Horticultural production with a high service content (the one that characterizes the so-called “fresh-cut salad” is one of the agricultural sectors in which significant investments are made in research and development, aimed at identifying a selection of cultivars with high yields and low inputs of pesticides and fertilizers.

The high level of integration that characterizes the fourth range supply chain guarantees efficient, safe and traceable production but at the same time means that adverse weather conditions, the presence of pathogens infesting crops and the variability of sales prices, affect the entire production chain. Climate change is one of the most important factors affecting the profitability of horticultural production, causing difficulties of a qualitative and quantitative nature linked to the procurement of raw materials destined for valorisation in products with a high service content.

In response to social and environmental needs, the development of sustainable agricultural practices capable of combining the need for high yields and environmental protection based on the conscious use of the soil, the reduction in the use of fertilizers and minimization is growing rapidly. of greenhouse gas emissions, with a view to circular economy and green economy. These practices include, among others, the use of sustainable fertilization techniques and the use of genetic improvement techniques to generate varieties that are more resistant to pathogens and unfavorable environmental conditions.