'Food Safety Objectives (FSO) and Performance Objectives (PO) are new criteria complementing the existing concepts of microbiological criteria and MRL for many chemical contaminants. However, to achieve these objectives it is critically important a harmonisation of food safety control procedures. BASELINE project intends to obtain the following objectives: 1) To review the sampling schemes currently available for food authorities and food producers to perform food safety quantitative risk assessment in a European level; 2) To assess the relevance and suitable limit values of POs and FSOs for biological and chemical risks; 3) To evaluate the need for new or adapted methods for sampling and testing of the risk factors identified. The selected protocols and methods should be able to produce suitable data for risk analysis; 4) To develop predictive mathematical models for biological risks and investigate and model sources and pathways of chemical contaminants to improve sampling schemes; 5) To validate and harmonise the sampling schemes developed in the project and alternative detection methods; 6) To share and disseminate the scientific knowledge deriving from the project to stakeholders. The BASELINE work plan has been divided in 9 work packages: WP1- management, WP2-WP6 sampling protocols for specific food matrixes, WP7-risk modelling, WP8-validation and harmonisation of sampling protocols, WP9-dissemination and training. The major output of the project is to generate new knowledge on sampling schemes for risk assessment by using a mathematical approach for different groups of food products as seafood, eggs and egg products, fresh meats, milk and dairy products and plant products. The project results will be translated in clear recommendations to the EC and end users and they will have a significant impact on protecting human and veterinary health.'

Climate change and population growth are expected to exacerbate the water crisis of Mediterranean African Countries (MACs), where agriculture accounts for 80-85% of freshwater consumption. The aim of MADFORWATER is to develop a set of integrated technological and management solutions to enhance wastewater treatment, reuse for irrigation and water efficiency in agriculture in three MACs (Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt). MADFORWATER will develop and adapt to three main hydrological basins in the selected MACs technologies for the production of irrigation-quality water from drainage canals, municipal, agro-industrial and industrial wastewaters, and technologies for water efficiency and reuse in agriculture, initially validated at laboratory scale. Selected technologies will be further adapted and validated in four field pilot plants of integrated wastewater treatment/reuse. Integrated strategies for wastewater treatment and reuse targeted to the selected basins will be developed, and guidelines for the development of integrated water management strategies in other basins of the three target MACs will be produced, considering climate change, population increase and economic growth scenarios. The social and technical suitability of the developed technologies and non-technological instruments in relation to the local context will be evaluated with the participation of MAC stakeholders and partners. Guidelines on economic instruments and policies for the effective implementation of the proposed water management solutions in the target MACs will be developed. The project will lead to a relevant long-term impact in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia in terms of increased wastewater treatment, wastewater reuse, food production and income in the agricultural and water treatment sectors, and decreased groundwater exploitation, water pollution and food contamination. The MADFORWATER consortium consists of 18 partners, 5 of which from the 3 MACs and 1 from China.

The project aims to address economically important insect-borne prokaryote-associated diseases of perennial crops (palm, citrus and grapevine) grown in tropical and subtropical areas which are seriously affecting the trade and import of agricultural products and materials worldwide. These diseases are due to the presence of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma’ associated with “lethal yellowing” in palms and “yellows” in grapevine, and ‘Ca. Liberibacter’ associated with “Huanglongbing” in citrus. These diseases could also present a possible threat to EU agriculture as a result of accelerated climate change that the EU is facing nowadays. The management of these diseases will be focused on tropical and subtropical areas in Africa (Ghana, South Africa and Reunion), the Americas (Mexico, Chile) and the Caribbean (Guadalupe, Jamaica, Cuba), and subtropical regions in Europe (Spain). Prevalence of the aforementioned diseases is severe in these areas, giving rise to social and economic threats, affecting local agriculture and export of products internationally and, in particular, to the EU. Knowledge and technologies available in the EU countries will be deployed in tropical and subtropical regions for carrying out epidemiologic studies aimed at filling gaps in our knowledge (including climatic and cultural factors); integrated pest management strategies based on innovative diagnostic and prevention tools; reduced insecticide treatments; use of defence elicitors and improved resistant germplasm; and pest risk assessment schemes. The project will evaluate the economical sustainability and the industrial relevance of the proposed solutions, and will assess the social impact of these diseases, and the distributive effects in the target countries. Local plant protection organizations, farmers and producers will actively participate as partners and/or in the Stakeholder Advisory Board, taking part in field trials, demonstration and exploitation of the results.

The project analyses the market structures and drivers, obstacles and opportunities from scientific, technical, legal, ethical, governance and socioeconomic vantage points. The analysis is grounded in economic and political science theories on how service markets with public and private features can develop, and how innovations may succeed. The consortium offers a good cross-section of representation from various vantage points in the climate services market, complemented by expert knowledge on market research and innovation policy. The consortium has excellent connections to many climate service user types and other stakeholders. The study will engage a large diversity of stakeholders in many ways, especially through the explorative market development exercises employing different co-design approaches. Next to reporting based analysis of market functioning and solutions, the protocols developed in the explorative market development exercises are meant for replication at large scale.

Gli obiettivi del programma di ricerca che svolgerà il Dipartimento di Produzione Animale dell’Università di Bari sono volti: - all’individuazione di specie e varietà di leguminose da granella atte all’impiego nell’alimentazione animale, nonché di trattamenti fisico-meccanici in grado di migliorare il valore nutritivo e la digeribilità delle leguminose; - al miglioramento del benessere animale, della qualità e sicurezza dei prodotti zootecnici

L’obiettivo finale del progetto CPBI è proprio quello di creare un collegamento diretto, concettuale e funzionale, fra i sistemi a supporto dei processi operativi (e.g. ERP, CRM, PLM) e quelli di supporto ai processi di innovazione (Idea Management Systems), facendo in modo che ogni lavoratore sia incluso nei processi di gestione e valorizzazione delle idee anche attraverso gli strumenti che usa quotidianamente. Tali strumenti favoriranno e supporteranno le strategie di innovazione a livello di Virtual Enterprise, mettendo in rete le capacità inventive e creative delle aziende e promuovendo la collaborazione per l’identificazione e lo sfruttamento di nuove opportunità di business.