is born aalliance between scientists and large companies to preserve the food excellence of our tables such as pasta, oil and wine from the impact of climate change. Is called MED-GOLD1, “Gold of the Mediterranean” and is a European research project dedicated to vines, olive trees and durum wheat, threatened by the invasion of harmful species and by the risk of extreme weather events, as a result of climate change.
Coordinated by ENEA, the project has as industrial partners three world leaders: Barilla for the pasta, the Spanish DCoop for the olive oil and the Portuguese Sogrape Vinhos for the wine. Funded by the European Union with 5 million euros, MED-GOLD provides for the creation of highly specialized climatic services for each of these crops, with indications for optimizing agricultural timing and techniques in relation to the impact of global warming.
“This new type of climate services for agriculture – he explains Alessandro dell'Aquila, researcher of the Laboratory of Climate Modeling and Impacts, one of the ENEA structures involved in the implementation of the project – allows for the provision of highly targeted tailored information, and to act over a period of time that may even span decades, with respect to the current weather forecasts which do not go beyond 2-3 days" -.
“We will work with Barilla to understand the impact of climate change on the production of durum wheat and the repercussions in terms of quality and price – he explains Luigi Ponti of the ENEA Sustainability, Quality and Safety of Agri-Food Production Laboratory – which he adds: the rise in temperatures is also impacting on the interactions between the olive tree and the olive fly, altering the olive economy as well as the yield of the crop. Knowing in advance whether the next season will be very hot and dry or on the contrary mild and humid would allow those who produce olive oil to implement the necessary countermeasures”.
With Sogrape Vinhos, a climatic service will be developed linked to the seasonal trend of temperature and the occurrence of rain or drought, to better choose the moment of the harvest, in order to allow winemakers to plan the cellar work in time and the use of manpower.
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