Unleashing the nutritional potential of Brassica microgreens: A case study on seed priming with Vermicompost.

Microgreens constitute ready-to-eat functional foods, being rich sources of phytonutrients and phytochemicals. Because of their short life cycle, seed priming is a promising strategy to fortify their functional outcome. Vermicompost was applied as seed priming agent for four Brassicaceae microgreens of nutritional interest.

Evaluating point source pesticide contamination via sprayer washing water dispersal: A northern Italian vineyard area case study.

Wastewater contaminated by plant protection products (PPP) from sprayer cleaning operations must be properly managed and disposed of, as it could represent a point source of environmental PPP pollution and pose risks to non-target organisms. Three conventionally and two organically managed farms in hilly vineyards of North-West Italy engaged in a participatory activity for sampling sprayer washing and resultant water. In total 52 samples of wash water (internal and external) were collected during two agricultural seasons and analyzed for six organic pesticides and metallic Cu.

Can Italian wines outperform European benchmarks in environmental impact? An examination through the product environmental footprint method.

Nowadays, there is a pressing demand for precise tools to quantify sustainability and assess the contributions of products and processes to sustainable development. This requirement extends to the wine industry as well. In 2013, the European Commission introduced the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), providing a standardized methodology grounded in life cycle thinking for evaluating the environmental impacts of products across various industries.

Glyphosate, glufosinate ammonium, and AMPA occurrences and sources in groundwater of hilly vineyards.

Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] and glufosinate ammonium [ammonium dl-homoalanin-4-(methyl) phosphinate] are broad-spectrum, nonselective, post-emergence herbicides extensively used in various applications for weed control in both agricultural and non-crop areas. Aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) is the major degradation product of glyphosate found in plants, water, and soil. Due to glyphosate's presumed low mobility, its monitoring in European water was limited.

Setting the sustainable development targets for restaurants and Italian HoReCa sector.

Due to its strategic position and direct relationship with multiple stakeholders, the HoReCa sector can be a crucial node for the promotion of sustainability in the agri-food chain. However, the sector is currently responsible for a high environmental, social, and economic load. A recent response to these impacts is the diffusion of initiatives that assess and promote sustainable practices at the catering business level.

Perceptions and Liking Distortion from Information about the Nutritional Upgrades in Biofortified Seafood Products.

(1) Background: As biofortified fish meat is becoming increasingly available, the use of supplements within fish feed may impact consumers' perceptions and their willingness to pay (WTP) for the product. This study focused on evaluating the sensory liking of, and WTP for, fish produced with fortified feed while understanding the role played by the acquired information on fish fortification. (2) Methods: Hedonic ratings and WTP were measured in an experimental bid.

MIMERA: An online tool for the sustainable pesticide use at field scale.

As echoed in the European Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategy, the EU agricultural policy has clear objectives of improving the sustainability (environmental, economic and social) of farm productions. The environmental goals are supported by promotion of organic farming and the responsible management of inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides. In this framework, there is a need is to provide farmers with tools to evaluate the best options for reducing environmental impact and measure performances in improving the sustainability of their productions.

Development of a sustainability technical guide for the Italian olive oil supply chain.

Italian olive growing must aim at the transition to economically and environmentally sustainable management systems, linked to premium quality production and to a recognized and remunerated context of biodiversity conservation in compliance with the provisions of the European Union New Green Deal and United Nations Agenda 2030. To assist and facilitate companies in this step, a sustainability technical guide for the Italian olive oil supply chain has been developed, with reference to the four pillars of sustainability. The guide, consisting of 42 requirements, was submitted to 18 olive farms from 8 different Italian regions participating in this pilot study, to assess their level of total sustainability and to receive feedbacks throughout the drafting process.

A multi-criteria approach to evaluate the sustainability performances of wines: the Italian red wine case study.

The wine industry has faced two significant environmental problems in recent years: productivity is challenged by environmental trends such as global warming, and buyers are becoming more environmentally conscious. From an environmental standpoint, the food industry is one of the most impacting sectors and wine results as one of the most studied agri-food products in the scientific literature. In general, comprehensive studies that consider an application of set of indicators to evaluate the overall sustainability of wine sector are lacking in literature.

Assessing consumers' attitudes, expectations and intentions towards health and sustainability regarding seafood consumption in Italy.

The EU and its Member States have articulated a sustainability vision 'to live well within the limits of our planet' by 2050. In this context, consumers play a key role, being able to drive seafood production sustainability and responsibility according to their behaviour, also in relation to their attitudes towards health, nutrition and well-being. On the basis of these premises, this research explores Italian consumers' attitudes towards health and sustainability in relation to seafood, in order to segment different target of consumers.

Benchmarking of carbon footprint data from the Italian wine sector: A comprehensive and extended analysis.

The interest in sustainability, within the wine sector, is growing simultaneously with the awareness of the environmental impacts on climate change generated by the sector itself. In this context, environmental methodologies need to be applied: Carbon Footprint of a Product (CFP) is a quantitative expression of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) emissions that plays an influent role in emission management and evaluation of mitigation measures over the full life cycle of a product. Moreover, CFP application in the agri-food sector remains scarce due to complex, expensive, and difficult data collection.

Sustainability Certification, a New Path of Value Creation in the Olive Oil Sector: The ITALIAN Case Study.

The Italian extra virgin olive oil supply chain has considerable potential for embarking on a path of sustainable development and evolution. In Italy, the great variety heritage and the different pedo-climatic characteristics result in local olive growing systems with different management techniques, producing extra virgin olive oils that are strictly entwined to the territory, with peculiar qualitative properties. Nevertheless, numerous criticalities have been traditionally eroding the competitiveness of Italian olive growing that could find in sustainability certifications, a lasting driver of value creation.

Influence of nitrogen-based fertilization on nitrates occurrence in groundwater of hilly vineyards.

Nitrogen losses from intensive agricultural production may end up as high nitrate (NO) concentrations in groundwater, with a long-term impact on groundwater quality. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of fertilization practices used for grape cultivation on groundwater quality of Tidone Valley, northwest of Italy, following an integrated socio-hydrogeological approach that consists on (i) the involvement of 175 farmers in the description of agricultural and fertilization practices, using a survey of ad hoc questionnaires, (ii) the evaluation of NO occurrence in groundwater and (iii) the identification of NO sources through isotopic and hydrochemical analysis. In this area, as for certain particular Apennines shallow aquifers, groundwater is of reduced interest due to its limited storage capacity and there are insufficient wells currently monitored by the local Environmental Agency (ARPAE) to evaluate the impact of agricultural fertilization on existing local aquifers.

Multi-actor approach and engagement strategy to promote the adoption of best management practices and a sustainable use of pesticides for groundwater quality improvement in hilly vineyards.

The adoption of pesticide mitigation measures and innovation at farm level, are seen as a drivers to reach the sustainable water policy objectives. With the aim to prevent the pesticide pressure of hilly vineyards on groundwater contamination, a stepwise approach in Tidone Valley was applied using different consultation mechanisms and involvement strategies throughout the overall process. Face to face meetings, direct surveys, participatory monitoring and planning of several activities aiming to inform, educate, improve skills, change of individual behaviour or raise awareness, or even initiatives to build institutional trust or support for new investment in innovation are some examples.

Development and implementation of a qualitative framework for the sustainable management of wine companies.

A growing number of companies around the world have already adopted sustainable practices as the majority of consumers are increasingly concerned with environmental and health issues. Despite this, lack of knowledge in sustainability can represent a limit to a sustainable conversion of Italian wine companies. This paper focuses on the development and suitability assessment of TERRITORY, a qualitative framework that assists sustainable management of winery farms with respect to biodiversity, neighbouring land use, agrochemical use, soil management, water management, landscape, site selection, heritage-cultural and aesthetic aspects, product quality and safety, human resource management, health of employees, community and consumers, economic repercussion of structures and territories, resource depletion, procurement practices and traceability.

A multi-actor, participatory approach to identify policy and technical barriers to better farming practices that protect our drinking water sources.

Despite an improvement of water quality across Europe there are many pollution hotspots for both nitrates and PPPs, mainly due to agricultural activities. The BMPs and MMs to reduce pollution from agriculture are well known, and there are policy instruments in place to ensure drinking water standards, but the current approach has not been efficient enough. Within the H2020 Water Protect project the premise was that there is a need for a multi-actor, participatory approach to tackle the issue from a new angle, and to assess why the uptake of known BMPs and MMs was not better among farmers.

Vehicle-derived ultrafine particulate contaminating bees and bee products.

Despite adverse health effects, ultrafine particulate matter (UFP), i.e., PM less than 0.

Evaluation of groundwater contamination sources by plant protection products in hilly vineyards of Northern Italy.

In Europe, 25% of groundwater has poor chemical status. One of the main stressors is agriculture, with nitrates and plant protection products (PPPs) causing failure in 18% and 6.5%, respectively, of groundwater bodies (by area).

First evaluation of pesticides occurrence in groundwater of Tidone Valley, an area with intensive viticulture.

Agricultural practice often involves an intensive and incorrect use of pesticides and fertilizers. These chemicals can leach through the soil profile and contaminate groundwater, including drinking water. For this reason, an effective groundwater monitoring is strongly advisable.

Investigating combined toxicity of binary mixtures in bees: Meta-analysis of laboratory tests, modelling, mechanistic basis and implications for risk assessment.

Bees are exposed to a wide range of multiple chemicals "chemical mixtures" from anthropogenic (e.g. plant protection products or veterinary products) or natural origin (e.

Residents perceptions of non-dietary pesticide exposure risk. Knowledge gaps and challenges for targeted awareness-raising material in Italy.

Currently there are no tools to accurately estimate pesticides exposure risk for residents and bystanders. European Member States have to develop specific measures and communication strategies to prevent and minimize non-occupational pesticides exposure. Moreover, these measures should be compliant with the requirements of the Directive on Sustainable Use of Pesticides.

Levels of regulated POPs in fish samples from the Sava River Basin. Comparison to legislated quality standard values.

Fish samples of different species (i.e. rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss), barbel (Barbus barbus) and European chub (Squalius cephalus)) were collected from the Sava River Basin for a preliminary investigation of the levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs, PBDEs and PFAS as a whole.

Ecological and human exposure assessment to PBDEs in Adige River.

The interest for environmental issues and the concern resulting from the potential exposure to contaminants were the starting point to develop methodologies in order to evaluate the consequences that those might have over both the environment and human health. Considering the feature of POPs, including PBDEs, such as bioaccumulation, biomagnification, long-range transport and adverse effects even long time after exposure, risk assessment of POPs requires specific approaches and tools. In this particular context, the MERLIN-Expo tool was used to assess the aquatic environmental exposure of Adige River to PBDEs and the accumulation of PBDEs in humans through the consumption of possible contaminated local aquatic food.

Occurrence of halogenated and organophosphate flame retardants in sediment and fish samples from three European river basins.

Classic (polybromodiphenyl ethers, PBDEs) and emerging halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) such as decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) and halogenated norbornenes, as well as organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) were analysed in 52 sediments and 27 fish samples from three European river basins, namely the Evrotas (Greece), the Adige (Italy) and the Sava (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia). This is the first time that FR levels have been reported in these three European river basins. The highest contamination was found in the Adige and Sava rivers, whereas lower values were obtained for the Evrotas.

Analysis of organophosphorus flame retardants in environmental and biotic matrices using on-line turbulent flow chromatography-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A fast on-line analytical method based on turbulent flow chromatography (TFC) in combination with tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS) has been applied for the analysis of fourteen organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) in sediment and fish samples. Applying this technique, time-consuming sample preparation steps were eliminated. The extraction was performed by ultrasound liquid extraction for biota and by pressurized liquid extraction for sediments.