Giuseppe Timpanaro

University of Catania | UNICT · Department of Agriculture Food and Environment (Di3A)

Climate change in recent years is shaping society’s habits and life in large cities, then it will be necessary to plan and design nature-based urban solutions to meet different interests and needs. To enable this approach between cities, urban green spaces and climate change, sustainable and resilient urban growth models are needed, planned with th...

Agriculture and food production have long been called upon to become more sustainable in order to contribute positively to the transformations taking place in this historic era, such as the increase in world population and living standards in certain areas of the planet that poses problems in terms of safeguarding food and nutrition security, mitig...

Organic farming nowadays is held up as a model of sustainability; however, this is not always an economic advantage for farmers due to the reduced yields compared to the conventional regime. The aim of the study is therefore to provide an environmental and economic analysis of the innovative organic model proposed by the Bresov project to assess it...

Introduction The combination of knowledge, personal skills and company resources influences, all things being equal, such as the availability of new technologies, market conditions and other factors external to the company, farmers in their innovation choices. This study is an attempt to understand which psychological constructs influence the decis...

Durum wheat is one of the most important food sources in the world, playing a key role in human nutrition, as well as in the economy of the different countries in which its production areas are concentrated. Its grain also represents a staple and highly versatile ingredient in the development of health foods. Nonetheless, the aspects determining du...

The paper addresses the consumption issue in the post-Covid-19 pandemic era, finding a possible interpretative model in the theory of planned behaviour. To this end, a sample was selected, and multivariate statistical analysis showed that the aspects of sustainability, health and well-living represent possible keys to understanding purchasing and c...

The agrifood supply chain is one of the largest in the world and includes all the businesses aimed at the production, processing, distribution and sale of products. The purpose of this article is to clearly explain what the blockchain technology really is, how it performs and whether it can really help our agriculture. It seems particularly useful...

The lockdown that affected our planet as result of the COVID-19 health emergency caused an important change in consumers’ relationship with digital technologies and e-commerce. The paper introduces a brief overview of ecommerce in recent years and the main changes due to the pandemic. The aim is to analyze the purchasing experiences during the lock...

Current climate change is confronting farms with extreme conditions, with severe drought for a good part of the year and flooding rains for a month. The changes taking place on our planet make it necessary for farmers to understand and assess how they can counteract the damage of climate change by adopting sustainable strategies to cope with the fu...

Abstract: The plant heritage of the Mediterranean basin, with its wide biodiversity, offers the best conditions to pursue the objectives of the EU Green Deal, and among it, we pointed our attention to the Brassica oleracea crops, thanks to the high number of landraces and of its wild relative species widespread both in agro and ecosystems. In the f...

For several decades, studies and conventions have highlighted the importance of the ecosystem services provided by natural resources and biodiversity for humanity and the need to move their management towards a sustainable model. Inthe United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2015), among its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),...

The paper starts from the assumption that a greater level of sustainability in national food systems can be achieved with the contribution of the consumer. Nowadays, the consumer can condition the choices of the production system, with a greater demand for reassurance on the quality, safety, and traceability of food products. To confirm this hypoth...

Contemporary agriculture is increasingly oriented toward the synergistic adoption of technologies such as the Internet of Things, Internet of Farming, big data analytics, and blockchain to combine resource protection and economic, social, and environmental sustainability. In Italy, the market growth potential of “Agriculture 4.0” and “Farming 4.0”...

Abstract: Future cities will need to plan and design urban green spaces and woodlands to meet diverse interests and needs, provide ecosystem services required by an evolving urban society and improve continuity between urban and rural spaces. This future planning approach calls for more sustainable patterns of urban growth, where forests and green...

Purpose This study was developed to address the environmental issues associated with a high-quality pasta production process, as the essential starting point to identify the related hotspots and the feasible improvement potentials. Methods To this end, a life cycle assessment (LCA) at the food producer’s gate was performed. Primary data were colle...

The European Green Deal to tackle climate change sets emission reduction targets for 2050. Particular attention has been paid to the agricultural sector, where there is a strong need to reduce carbon emissions and re-establish the natural carbon cycles. The concept of carbon neutrality is emerging in a scenario where it is necessary to reduce carbo...

Purpose The study aims to demonstrate that farmers' markets can represent a model of environmental, social and governance reference for modern agri-food systems facing the challenge of post COVID-19 pandemic reconstruction, responding to consumer expectations in terms of health, safety and wholesomeness of agri-food products. Design/methodology/ap...

Biofortification is a strategy to reduce micronutrient deficiency in humans by fortifying food through natural processes, agronomic practices and genetic modification. In this study, we seek to shed light on what consumers understand by the term 'biofortified products' and thus to understand their level of knowledge about these products, as well as...

Climate change, food security, and the protection of the planet’s resources require the adoption of sustainable production models. Achieving sustainable development in the agri-food sector enables the creation of new opportunities for operators, guiding farmers towards more environmentally friendly practices and offering cost-effective results. Org...

The aim of this study is to provide a literature review on biofortified products and their role in the scientific sphere. Despite the large number of studies conducted on biofortified products in the last 20 years, many defining issues are still debated in the literature and several research questions should be clarified. It is therefore relevant t...

Citrus Bacterial Cancer (CBC) is a severe phytopathy capable of compromising the economy, environment, and society in specific areas. To date, it is not present in the Mediterranean Basin. In essence, it could be a signal that European Phytosanitary Services have been able to control its spread, blocking import and marketing of fruits from risk are...

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and pollutants, soil erosion and groundwater pollution are some of the negative aspects blamed on livestock farming, so their level of sustainability needs to be assessed, taking into account the territory in which they operate. The research focuses on the assessment of sustainability performance in the four dimension...

The prickly pear in Italy is mostly used for human nutrition, although different cultivars of Cactaceae are intended for different uses around the world. Currently, there is a new bio‐economy for the prickly pear linked to the use of cladodes and fruit wastes for energy and numerous biotechnological derivatives. This paper focuses on the technical...

One of the factors that will affect the livability of cities and the overall citizens’ quality of life in the future is certainly climate change. Urban areas will play a fundamental role in the commitment against climate change and will have to develop appropriate adaptation actions, in accordance with the European Strategy against climate change,...

Citrus bacterial canker (CBC) is a known disease caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp citri, which affects many species and varieties of Rutaceae. It causes evident damage on the epigeal parts of plant (leaves and branches) and, in particular, on the fruits, causing their fall and/or deterioration, making them unsuitable for sale. EPPO has signaled it...

The concept of the conservative protection of ecosystems is increasingly supplanted by a global ecological vision, which considers a protected area as a place of contamination of knowledge and intervention techniques. The planning and management of the interventions are necessary to preserve the natural resources, traditional activities and represe...

New technologies have led to a digital transformation that enhances traditional processes of innovation and development on the one hand, and creates new forms of innovation in every segment of society on the other. In the agri-food sector, it plays a central role in addressing the critical factors of globalization and environmental impact. In Italy...

The increasing micronutrient deficiency within the nutritional habits of the world’s population and the growing need for healthy foods have given rise to the development of biofortified crops. In a context where the consumer’s attention is focused on a healthy lifestyle and respect for the environment, the cultivation of potatoes enriched with sele...

The alignment of food systems with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is generally envisaged to make a positive impact on sustainability. This paper outlines some critical environmental and socioeconomic indicators for Sicily in order to compare and explore the outcomes of two juxtaposing key drivers in a scenario planning exercise, where the...

In light of increasing attention on biofortified products from the institutional, scientific and industrial worlds, we investigate consumer knowledge, consumer choice, the relationship between consumer choice and lifestyles, willingness to pay, and factors influencing consumer groups regarding biofortified foods. Complicating the matter is the lack...

In this study, we built a basic scenario for risk assessment of the introduction of Xantomonas citri (X. citri), an agent of bacterial citrus canker, through international trade activities. According to the international phytosanitary authority European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), X. citri is currently included in the European Union A1 list (quarant...

Rural areas are recognized as multifunctional spaces, where traditional agro-silvo-pastoral and other human activities (unrelated rural tourism, ecotourism, processing industries of agricultural and or extractive products, land maintenance, trade in local products, etc.) take place alongside each other. The integrated endogenous development model,...

The natural environment in urban areas, often described as “urban green spaces”, is recognized by numerous researches and experiences as an important element because provide indirect and direct benefits to human health and well-being. Among the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Goal 11, Sustainable Cities and Communitie...

In recent years, prickly pear biomass has had a growing role in the area of agro-energy, aimed at the production of biogas and biomethane. However, technical validations of the use of prickly pears for energy purposes have not yet been carried out in Sicily, a region that accounts for more than 90% of Italian investment in cacti. A design idea was...

The consumer’s central role within biodiversity conservation networks may be connected to the process of reconnecting models of production and proven local consumption within “alternative food networks” that have the ability to conserve biodiversity and create sustainable production. This research focuses of the indirect relationships between consu...

Investigating the feasibility of betanin and pectin extraction from Opuntia ficus-indica peel via microwave-assisted hydrodiffusion and gravity, this study identifies selected important economic and technical aspects associated with this innovative production route starting from prickly pear fruit discards. Which benefits would be derived from this...

The agri-food industry is one of the largest in the world and includes all the activities aimed at the production, processing and distribution of food products. Food, culture and fashion are among the elements that characterize Italy in the world. The Mediterranean diet, its products and its dishes are imitated in every part of the globe with “Ital...

This research analyzes consumers' different purchasing attitudes in traditional and on-line markets. Italy's on-line direct selling process for organic farm products is still in its formative phase, and the prospective developments mark an interesting research area, not least because it may represent a tool to integrate the relationship with custom...

Climate change, recurrent economic and financial crises and food security issues are forcing society to look at the increasingly widespread use of “sustainable” production practices. These are often translated into innovations for businesses that are not always easily achievable other than through specific investments. This work sets out to assess...

The overview of the most relevant literature on migration, whose main issues were human rights, work in agriculture, cultural and social inclusion, highlighted one common point: the need to foster the legal work of migrants as a driver for social integration. This finding was confirmed by a CREA-PB survey that, after outlining the role of foreign w...

With increasing urbanisation massive daily flows of agricultural products coming from rural areas to cities generate high amounts of heat, CO2, waste water and other waste. The negative balance on sustainability is also caused by the creation of long, winding, and often inefficient supply chains, that negatively impact society economically. In cont...

We identify the composition of a less known, yet important bioproduct obtained in relatively high amount during orange fruit processing for juice and essential oil extraction comprised of bioethanol dissolving valued terpenes. Green cosmetic, perfume and biosolvent applications are anticipated.

Starting out from the admonitions of the encyclical letter by pope Francis, this contribution aims to define the value of social agriculture as an instrument of integrated development of the territory able to foster, just for its own peculiarities, the creation of dense systems of relationships among the various stakeholders that operate in synergy...

An analysis of the efficiency of wine and grapevine producers in Italy was performed. Data for 2005 and 2010 from the Farm Accountancy Data Network were used; this network records the balance sheets of a representative sample of farms. The data were analyzed using data envelopment analysis, which is a method for estimating the comparative efficienc...

Up to one third of all food is spoiled or squandered before it is consumed by people. It’s a problem in a period where almost a billion people go hungry, and represents a waste of the labour, water, energy, land and other inputs that went into producing that food. It’s crucial to intervene through clear definitions and appropriate legislative actio...

The present research, providing a perspective of analysis on investment in ICT and their correlations with three of macro main areas of agri-food firms such as profitability, customer satisfaction and marketplace, through a methodological drawing based statistical research of deductive matrix, offers a contribution to the interpretation of countles...

The aim of this research is to contribute to food security by studying the development of integrated organic production models related to the biodiversity of food sources, soil fertility and water availability, both in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Sicily. Using the FAO’s multi-facetted approach of the Sustainable Assessment of Food and Agricu...

The aim of this work is to identify the factors that influence the level of efficiency in horticultural nurseries and to estimate their impact on productivity as well as the direction and intensity with which they act. The investigation was focused on table tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.), a species widely cultivated in horticultural greenhouses...

Sourced so far mostly from beet root juice, betanin is a red-violet natural colorant increasingly used by the food, beverage and nutraceutical industries. The production and purification methods, emerging sources, extraction technologies and applications are reviewed. Moreover, we provide an updated bioeconomy perspective into this valued betacyani...

Sourced so far mostly from beet root juice, betanin is a red-violet natural colorant increasingly used by the food, beverage and nutraceutical industries. We provide an updated bioeconomy perspective into a valued betacyanin whose supply and applications, we argue in this study, will rapidly expand.

The integral extraction via microwave-assisted hydrodiffusion and hydrodistillation of water-soluble bioproducts contained in the peel of Opuntia ficus-indica white and red cultivars harvested in Sicily, affords red and stable aqueous extracts mostly containing valued betanin, pectin and biophenols. Potentially useful as nutraceutical products, the...

The fatty acid composition of the seed oil from the yellow fruit of Opuntia ficus-indica widely grown in Sicily shows several distinctive features. The oil obtained comprises significant amounts of vaccenic acid along with several other unsaturated fatty acids showing several health benefits, including linolenic, trans-13-octadecenoic, gondoic, 7Z,...

In the last few years there seems to have been a growth of interest in green spaces with agricultural activities in the urban environment that have become expressions of a urban agriculture that represent a mode of agricultural exploitation of these green spaces by citizens, able to offer a response to renewed social, alimentary, environmental, and...

In the framework of the ORPRAMed project the main goals of the project have been presented at the Scientific Society Conferences of the partecipants as a part of the dissemination goal

A number of school-based programmes have shown positive effects on children’s dietary behaviour. Some of these have focused broadly on nutrition, physical activity, and heart health, whilst others have focused more specifically on the consumption of fruit and vegetables. Despite some successes in this field, however, the consumption of fruit and ve...

This paper presents the results of a research study carried out into winemaking in Sicily, one of the most important regions nationwide in terms of surface area of planted grapevines, production output, and generated income. In particular, it focuses attention on the impact that adopting methodologies and tools for monitoring the sustainability of...

The advent of technological innovation does not constitute a process confined to a particular territory or to a specific economic system, but represents a shared opportunity, cutting across all regions, sectors, and activities, that is destined to grow to meet the expectations of the modern consumer in terms of food safety, wholesomeness, quality,...

Nursery industry has a considerable importance in thevalue chain’ building of vegetable companies. Its importance increases in acountry like Italy, where vegetable productions in open field and in greenhousecontribute significantly to the creation of income and employment and to thesocio-economic support of entire geographic areas. However, this se...

In accordance with the multifunctional farms model, social farming activities are useful instruments to maintain sustainable competitive advantages in certain areas, as these made-to-order services are able to satisfy the needs declared and/or hidden of local communities. The authors claim that social farming activities can be a model of sustainabl...

In the new millennium, due to the spreading of globalization and the changes in consumers’ life style, the agrifood system has been forced to face a deep transformation in the dynamics that involve food demand and structure and organization of the entire production system, processing and commercialization. Due to a renovated interest of consumers,...