Best Practices

A holistic scientific research and training project led by Chair Andrea Illy that combines sustainable agriculture with a focus on environmental regeneration, enriching the soil with organic carbon. Virtuous Agriculture® has a dual benefit: for the environment, through carbon sequestration and the reduction of contaminants, and for human health, through natural nutritional products. During 2024, research activities continued in collaboration with the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology at the University of Udine as part of a three-year doctoral project. The research activities, focused on the in vitro production of metabolites of nutraceutical interest, resulted in an article published in the scientific journal Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture. Learn more 

The European Regenerative Organic Center (EROC) is a research and training center developed by Davines in collaboration with the Rodale Institute. Its goal is to conduct research on regenerative organic agriculture, promote its adoption through farmer training, and establish a new international standard. The project includes a 15-hectare farm where these practices are studied through pilot-scale experiments, with a focus on soil carbon sequestration, increasing biodiversity, and mitigating or eliminating pollutants from the environment. The project also aims to identify ambassadors, create a network of stakeholders, and disseminate new knowledge at all levels. Learn more 

Aboca uses regenerative farming practices to grow plants and herbs for its products. All crops are grown according to organic farming principles. The company is also part of the Biodiversity Alliance and measures and protects biodiversity in its fields. Over the next three years, the company intends to invest in defining an international standard for assessing the sustainability of agricultural models, in collaboration with universities and research centers, and to involve the community through cultural activities. Aboca is currently evaluating the potential of using carbon sequestration practices on its agricultural land. Learn more 

Nzatu works closely with smallholder farmers in Uganda to produce coffee and honey using regenerative farming practices, such as composting manure, intercropping, and organic seaweed fertilizers, to promote biodiversity. Beekeeping is also a source of diversified income through the sale of bee products (honey, beeswax, pollen, propolis, and bee venom). Farmers receive training in both coffee harvesting and roasting techniques and beekeeping. In October 2024, the first regenerative coffee produced in Uganda by Nzatu was released on the market.

The project’s aim is to plant perennial forests throughout the Parma area and its province. Urban and sub-urban forests offer several ecosystem services to the neighboring communities, in terms of climate adaptation, landscape restoration and improvement of air quality. The project also includes an educational program for school children about the importance of urban forests for nature and people’s well-being. Learn more 

The project has two objectives. The first is to create an innovative business playground (Center for Open Innovation & Competence), open to external communities close to and transversal to the world of research and continuous innovation and to the people of Chiesi, and to provide its commercial branch with a workspace aligned with current notions of inclusion and corporate guidelines. The second is to become a driver of urban regeneration and a benchmark for innovation that can reveal the interconnection between the health of people and the planet on the one hand, and the need to develop new skills in the art of care on the other. Learn more 

“Sottocasa” is a community investing project that aims to create a positive and measurable impact on the environment and social fabric of a city. The goal of the project is to restore Milan’s Baden-Powell Park, making it a safer and greener place for socializing. From an environmental point of view, the planned actions are: mitigation of the urban heat island effect, enhancement of biodiversity, and rainwater collection through the planting of a new forest. The project is also an excellent example of collaboration between the public and private sectors. Learn more 

#UnlockEducation is an educational campaign developed in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Education to teach new generations about sustainability. It includes teaching and training materials for teachers and can be adapted to the needs of different levels of education. After initiating a dialogue with more than 500 schools to include #UnlockEducation in the school curriculum, the goal is to involve all Italian schools, making the campaign content available to individual students, classes, and entire institutions openly and free of charge. Learn more 

AWorld is a platform that guides and encourages individuals to live sustainably and reduce their carbon footprint. Created in Italy, AWorld has collaborated with the United Nations and the European Commission with the common goal of guiding global education on the Sustainable Development Goals and promoting active citizenship. Using its patented Impact Engagement Methodology, AWorld drives behavioral change by aligning users’ actions with their values. The methodology combines the three pillars of measurement, education, and engagement to build a gamification system and create sustainable habits that last over time. As a leader in global sustainability stakeholder engagement, AWorld partners with companies and organizations to unite employees, consumers, citizens, and stakeholders in a shared commitment to a widespread culture of sustainability. Learn more 

The project aims to positively influence behavior in order to reduce food waste, raise awareness, and promote best practices. To this end, Irinox is tackling this challenge with a scientific approach, through research on food waste, including in terms of CO2 emissions, and in-depth knowledge of the entire food supply chain. One of the main objectives of the project is to raise awareness, especially among young people and professionals in the food sector, through the sharing of best practices and educational activities. The project also includes an award, the “Irinox Save the Food” award, presented during the Identità Golose food fair to the chef most capable of creating a menu with anti-waste recipes. Learn more 

The project involves planting fruit trees in the province of Manica Norte, Mozambique. Before the project was implemented, the area was completely abandoned and degraded, with no forest cover. Over the years, the local population has exploited the area’s wood resources for heating and charcoal production. In doing so, they have hindered the natural regeneration of the soil, with a negative environmental impact. Planting these fruit trees will restore the deforested area, reduce soil erosion, and improve the income and living conditions of the local community. The main objectives of the projects are: to capture greenhouse gas emissions through the planting of fruit trees; to preserve local biodiversity through the implementation of an agroforestry program; to support sustainable development for the local community by providing training and employment opportunities in sustainable agriculture. Learn more 

The project aims to address the challenge of earthquake waste disposal in a sustainable manner by reusing and recovering the waste materials. The goal is to reduce the environmental impact of construction sites and to add value to waste resources. Garc was able to recycle 99% of the rubbles and reuse them to rebuild collapsed buildings. They have also employed local people to support the economy after the earthquake.

The project aims to create an “industrial symbiosis,” a lasting partnership between different companies to transform waste into resources. The project focuses in particular on the ceramics industry in Emilia-Romagna and the creation of a “recovery factory” to establish standards and certification for the correct use of waste materials in construction. The main idea would be to combine the raw materials needed for ceramic production with end-of-life waste and by-products to create a mixture that can be used by ceramic manufacturers themselves. In addition to this project, Garc is also involved in the production of pallets and spacers using waste wood and in a plastic processing plant. Finally, to improve the state of the art on these issues, Garc intends to create a research center on the circular economy. Learn more 

Persea is a scalable regenerative agriculture model that aims to produce high-quality, organic avocados with a short supply chain, operating with the utmost respect for the ecosystem. Production will be entirely Italian, concentrated in the regions of Sardinia and Calabria, covering a total area of approximately 700 hectares. Thanks to an approach that stimulates biodiversity, the Persea project aims to add value to the territory and its resources, generating profitability by creating a virtuous circle with a positive impact. Persea represents a model of circular agriculture, in which all residues and waste are transformed (e.g., into biochar) and reused in cultivation. Learn more 

Sammontana has produced the vegetable ice-cream line Amando, made of almond milk. Only Sicilian almonds are used, since they require much less water than the Californian ones, reducing the product’s water footprint. Another goal reached was the reduction of CO2 emissions, compared to traditional ice-creams, as no animal milk is used. Sammontana is working with its fruit suppliers (mainly almonds and apples) to reduce its ecological footprint along the entire supply chain. Learn more 

Lombard Odier Investment Managers launched the LO Funds-Circular Economy investment strategy in November 2020 to offer Italian investors an innovative opportunity to invest in natural resources around the world through companies capable of harnessing the regenerative power of nature. By using biomaterials, limiting waste, and focusing on bioenergy and regenerative practices, the Circular Economy Investment Strategy rewards nature as the main asset of our economy, promoting a regenerative rather than linear economic model. Learn more 

3Bee has applied a combination of satellite maps (Flora, developed together with ESA) and bioacoustic sensors for monitoring wild pollinators (Spectrum) to monitor the impact on biodiversity of the regeneration of a 60-hectare area within a monoculture zone created by the company Genagricola 1851. In addition, in collaboration with this partner company, 3Bee aims to regenerate a further 25 hectares and protect around 10 million pollinators in an area used to generate photovoltaic energy. The project plans to constantly monitor the impact of these hives using Hive-Tech technology, generating and constantly updating a report to show the effect of these interventions on the well-being of bees and the biodiversity of the environment. Learn more