The group also consists of correspondents from German, Danish, English, Spanish, Russian, Brazilian and Romanian newspapers
The press tour of the Tuscany Region will take place in the land of Maremma, Friday June 26, 2020. Participating will be a number of national journalists and also a large group of correspondents of the foreign press in Rome who write for German, Danish, English, Spanish, Russian, Brazilian and Romanian newspapers.
The tour, organized by Fondazione Sistema Toscana for Invest in Tuscany – the office of the Presidency of the Region created 10 years ago to stimulate the attraction of foreign investments – will stop in the province of Grosseto to show participants two examples of excellence in regional agribusiness: the Alberese Estate of the Ente Terre Regionali Toscane and Sfera Agricola in the municipality of Gavorrano. The group will be accompanied by the head of Invest in Tuscany, Filippo Giabbani.
Agribusiness represents an important part of the Tuscan economy with a turnover of 11.3 billion euros, 28,900 companies employing 56,000 employees, over 27,000 potential suppliers and 5,300 certified organic companies. This data places Tuscany in first place among European regions in terms of number of companies and second in regards to turnover.
In light of the numbers and specializations, Tuscany is a primary territory in Europe for the attraction of new investments in agri-food. The “Made in Tuscany” brand is a worldwide synonym for high quality, even more so in a sector that sees numerous food products certified by the European Union. In fact, there are 16 PDOs (Protected Designation of Origin), 15 PGIs (Protected Geographical Indication) and over 800 endangered species and local animal breeds subject to protection and development registered in the Agro-biodiversity list of the Tuscan Region. Furthermore, Tuscany boasts undisputed international leadership for some excellent products including extra virgin olive oil and wine, just think of Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino or Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The Invest in Tuscany team is the official reference point for national and international companies interested in creating new businesses in Tuscany, providing them with support and assistance thanks to the experience gained in a decade of activity.
The press team will be welcomed by Marco Locatelli, director of the Ente Terre Regionali Toscane, which has its headquarters in the Alberese Estate. With its 4200 hectares, Alberese is one of the largest organic farms in Europe and is covered by pine forests, Mediterranean scrub and cultivated land where over 400 Maremma cattle and 40 Maremma horses graze. The farm is a Demofarm engaged in various experimental activities. It offers facilities for conferences and seminars and also has a farmhouse that can accommodate more than 50 people. The press tour will begin in Spergolaia and will continue with a visit to the saddlery and the ANABIC bull’s area to see the native breed of Maremma cattle. The group will stop in Pian di Barca for a visit to the Cappelli durum wheat field that will become the pasta of the Tuscan Parchi. Then, the tour will move to Rispescia to explore the Germplasm Bank and the field dedicated to indigenous Tuscan varieties labelled under the protection of regional agro-biodiversity and the APP “Agrodiversity of Tuscany”.
In the afternoon, the tour will arrive in the municipality of Gavorrano to visit Sfera Agricola, a startup created in 2016, founded on the idea of the Maremma entrepreneur, Luigi Galimberti. The aim of the company is to create the first completely sustainable vegetable production plant through the construction of an innovative and efficient hydroponic greenhouse. The Sfera project was funded by a group of private investors, the lead investor of which is Oltre Venture, the first Italian impact investing fund. The investors were then joined by a pool of banks headed by Banca Iccrea reaching a total investment of 20 million euros. Over 250 employees are regularly recruited, giving priority to local residents. Today, Sfera Agricola with its 13 hectares, is the largest hydroponic greenhouse in Italy. It also produces vegetables in the off-season months without exhausting the soil and without the use of pesticides. Compared to typical open field crops, hydroponics can save up to 97% of water.
Tuscany has a leading role in Europe for agribusiness and innovation in agriculture. The region participates in the ERIAFF Network (European Regions for Innovation in Agriculture, Food and Forests) which has brought together regions that are most aware of the need to develop synergies and to stimulate the launch of innovation projects from a shared base. Tuscany also coordinates the European partnership S3 – Smart Specialization Strategy on high-tech agriculture within the S3 Agri-food Platform, coordinated by the Joint Research Center of Seville in collaboration with DEMOFARM of the Ente Terre Regionali Toscane. Finally, always with a view to digital innovation and data sharing in precision agriculture, Tuscany is focusing heavily on “demonstration” structures, so-called “Demofarms“. The region is a partner of the NEFERTITI project, within the Horizon 2020 program, which aims to create a European network of demonstration companies, including the Alberese Estate.
Press contacts
Mariangela Della Monica – resp. Press office of Fondazione Sistema Toscana
Cell 334 6606721 – m.dellamonica@fst.it