News
Northern Italy: the Tomato Water project
OI Pomodoro da Industria Nord Italia launches the Tomato Water project, an innovative model for a sustainable and efficient management of water resources in the processing tomato supply chain
In a press release published on 29 November 2024, the OI Pomodoro da Industria Nord Italia announced the launch of the Tomato Water project, a strategic initiative for the rational, efficient and sustainable management of water in the processing tomato supply chain. The project, promoted and coordinated by the OI Pomodoro Nord with a budget of about 400,000 euros and a duration of three years, has been approved and 90% financed, i.e. about 360,000 euros, within the framework of the Emilia-Romagna 2023 PSR Call for Proposals – COPSR 2023-2027.
Former President of the OI Pomodoro Nord Tiberio Rabboni took part on December 3, 2024, in the round table "Water crisis and strategic infrastructures" organised for ANICAV Associazione's annual public assembly “Il Filo Rosso del Pomodoro”.
In his speech, Mr Rabboni emphasized the IO's historical and ongoing commitment to greater sustainability in the supply chain, which has seen the Interbranch Organization engaged since 2015 in studies to measure the supply chain's water needs in the territories; he also presented the new Tomato Water project, through which the OI Pomodoro Nord wants to promote sustainable and efficient management of water resources.
In his speech, Mr Rabboni emphasized the IO's historical and ongoing commitment to greater sustainability in the supply chain, which has seen the Interbranch Organization engaged since 2015 in studies to measure the supply chain's water needs in the territories; he also presented the new Tomato Water project, through which the OI Pomodoro Nord wants to promote sustainable and efficient management of water resources.
Il Filo Rosso, December 3, 2024
The project, long envisioned by OI Pomodoro da Industria Nord Italia, aims to estimate the water need of the supply chain and compare it with the availability of water in the most significant areas for tomato cultivation in the northern region (Piacenza, Parma, and Ferrara) in order to prevent possible critical issues and to enable operators, once they have acquired the information, to regulate and optimize water usage, preserving it for specific periods or areas that are characterized by particular problems. Among the objectives of the Tomato Water project, in fact, one is to study a tool capable of focusing on the imbalances between water needs and real availability in the various territories at certain times of the year.
The scientific quantification of water requirements, both for the irrigation of agricultural land and for industrial processing, will also be of significant assistance in supporting the supply chain's position in requesting structural interventions to enhance water supply.
On November 13th, a Temporary Association of Purpose was established among 23 partners, including supply chain organizations, producers, universities, research institutions, and the Land Reclamation Consortia of the three main provinces in northern Italy for industrial tomato production. This partnership will foster dialogue between the production chain and water management bodies, engaging with innovative tools developed by research institutions.
OI Pomodoro da Industria Nord Italia will coordinate the activities; the POs (Producer Organizations), along with their agricultural companies, will provide the necessary data to define the water requirements for tomato cultivation in the various regions; the Land Reclamation Consortia will supply real-time updated information on the availability of water resources; the Catholic University of Piacenza and the CER-Canale Emiliano will develop a tool to estimate and compare the two sets of data; Vsafe, a spin-off of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, will carry out an economic assessment of possible management decisions in the scenario of water scarcity.
With Tomato Water, OI Pomodoro da Industria Nord Italia is reaffirming its commitment to innovation and sustainability, providing the supply chain with advanced tools and a strategic vision, thus assisting in addressing the complexities of climate change. This is another step forward for the Interbranch Organization in supporting the supply chain on its sustainability journey in water resource management, both for agricultural and industrial production, in the spirit of constructive dialogue with institutions.
Source: OI Pomodoro da Industria Nord Italia
