Cooperation project for the development of the Einkorn chain in Sicily
The objective of the project is the organization of the monococcus wheat supply chain in Sicily, from primary production to industrial processing (milling). Transformation activities to obtain new high-quality and functional products to meet certified quality schemes, such as the Sicilian Region's "QUALITA' SICURA" brand ". An agricultural supply chain that is sensitive to the problems of the climate and the environment and which aims to reduce energy inputs and aims at a circular economy using crop residues for energy purposes.
"Sicily is an area particularly suited to the cultivation of cereals and in particular of durum wheat, a very strategic cereal for Italian agriculture.
In the last five years, Durum wheat in Sicily has been grown on an average area of about 280,000 hectares, with a production of 800,000 tons of grain (about 18% of the entire national production - ISTAT data).
Although it is an important supply chain in Sicily, it has several critical issues in some segments.
Durum wheat has very low market prices, while production costs are so high as to make the crop not always cheap. This entails the reduction of the cultivated area which has been reduced from 340,000 hectares in 2008 to 280,000 hectares today.
In the last decade, the number of pasta factories has also decreased (-68%, from 19 to 6 industries); this caused in a regional grain production surplus of approximately 50%.
As argued the report ""Analysis of the innovation needs of the main agricultural production sectors"" carried out by MIPAAF and INEA in 2013, the cereal supply chain needs innovations:
- in terms of genetic resources, creation of new supply chains (fab. F08),
- diversification of activities (building F04).
It is fundamental to provide Sicilian cereal growers to diversify the farm's production, introducing new species adaptable to regional pedoclimatic conditions in the cultivation systems."
Introduction of Einkorn in cultivation systems in semi-arid environments.
Product innovation regards the cultivation of monococcum wheat in partner companies, through the adaptation and testing of the cultivation technique in a conventional and organic system (process innovation).
The varieties that will be grown, Hammurabi and Norberto, were created by researchers from partner CREA-IT.
Einkorn does not require irrigation, has a low environmental impact due to a very low demanding of external inputs such as fertilizers, and finally protect water quality (process and product innovation in the environmental sector).
Seven crop tests on farm will be made, each covering 3 hectares for two crop cycles.
Use of crop residues for the production of Einkorn briquettes.
Crop residues collected from test field of the partner Rizzo will be processed for production of briquettes (compressed straw). The production will be carried out both following the traditional process (with grinding) and without fine grinding in order to evaluate the possibility of simplifying production directly on farm.
"Einkorn malt.
The innovation concerns the development of processes to produce malt using a small and artisan prototype that will be created by partner CREA-IT. At the same time the product innovation consists to the achieving of a type of ""malt"" using a row material never used before. This research applies data and results defined by time by the partners CREA-IT and Consorzio Ballatore.
At partner ""Puma"" farm, which use an artisanal beer plant, will be studied the aptitude of the Einkorn malt to made beer."
Einkorn flours.
Project activitie forecasts the production of whole and refined Einkorn flours (product innovation), defining milling diagrams (process innovation) using cylinder and stone mills, conventional and organic processes.
Moreover the nutritional and health profiles of flours will also be assessed, goals that influences consumers choices.This processes described do not involve the use of water to ""conditioning"" kernels before grinding, this will allow for greater efficiency in the use of water."
"Einkorn flour for couscous.
The product innovation is the ""wholemeal"" and ""non-wholemeal"" for couscous of Einkorn, which is considered a convey way to assume bioactive compounds in the diet.
Procedures will be optimize in order to transferring to the partners processes to use Einkorn, with and without parboiling. To obtain the flour, will be used parboiling and non-parboiling grains belonging to two varieties used: Hammurabi and Norberto.
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"Definition of a ""Supply chain agreement"" and an IT system for the management of traceability.
This management innovation will be achieved by means of the definition of a Supply Chain Agreement between the partners and between companies in the extra-regional supply chain.
The Agreement will be supported by means of a computerized system for the management of traceability.
They will also be defined as ""Quality Regulations"" for the production of monococcum wheat ""in order to adhere to the Collective Mark "" Safe Quality guaranteed by the Sicilian Region ""."
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