The conference is divided into four thematic modules and will take place over two consecutive days. The working language of the first day will be English, while of the second day, Italian.

The morning of November 24th will be devoted to presenting the results of the research within the OnFoods project, spoke7, in dialogue with colleagues from other universities, representatives of the third sector and businesses. The morning is divided into two sessions, one dedicated to the right to food from the perspective of human rights and its various components, and one to reducing food waste.

The first panel, entitled “We are what we eat: culture, religion, identity”, will address the legal protection of the right to food in international law and its effective application in practice, particularly through the study of domestic and international case law. It will consider the cultural and religious value of food, including through a practical case study in Tunisia from the perspective of international cooperation, as well as access to nutritious and adequate food for vulnerable individuals such as persons with disabilities and minors, from a multidisciplinary perspective.

The second panel, “Food waste prevention and reduction: the surplus of food in a reversed pyramid”, offers an analysis of European and national regulations on the prevention of food waste, including the very recent European directive on the subject, highlighting their limitations and opportunities. The legal analysis will be complemented by the presentation of best practices developed in the third sector, useful for redesigning local food policies, aimed primarily at promoting the redistribution of food surplus to those most in need, and thus further reducing the environmental impact by sustainably valorising food waste.

On the following day, November 25th, the conference will be held in Italian, focusing primarily on the themes of the NODES project, spoke 6 (VINO project). It will address the protection and valorization of tangible and intangible heritage in the wine sector of the Oltrepò Pavese, as well as strategies for mitigating the effects of climate change. The panels will assess not only the impact of regulatory changes, but also, and above all, the technical possibilities offered for identifying new vineyard management methods. The aim is to open a late-morning discussion with industry experts.

The proceedings will open with the third panel, “Protection and promotion of the tangible and intangible heritage of the Oltrepò Pavese wine sector”. Through the perspective of the territory and communities, the panel will explore the connections the wine sector forges with its surrounding environment, with a view to mutual influence that fosters and reinforces the vocation of the region for a specific agricultural production, currently challenged by phenomena such as climate change.

The fourth panel, “Climate change adaptation strategies for the Oltrepò Pavese wine sector”, will address pressing issues for wine production. Among the various strategies that can be implemented, researchers involved in the VINO project will present, from a transdisciplinary perspective, vineyard management techniques for preventing and reducing hydrogeological instability. Moreover, the panel will introduce suggestions regarding the ability of legal regulations to absorb—where possible—exogenous changes and to reorient production rules, as well as the challenges posed by European regulations on labels concerning the harmfulness of alcohol. 

A focus will also be placed on the possibilities that technical knowledge can offer for the development of a circular economy in the vineyard, through the valorization of pruned branches. Finally, technical tools will be offered for evaluating the introduction of alternative crops in the areas most affected by the effects of climate change.

The conference will conclude with a discussion with stakeholders, opened by some scheduled presentations.