Icarus introduces itself
The project dedicated to sustainable innovation and enhancement of the made-in-Puglia artichoke is now underway. ICARUS is funded under the PSR Puglia 2014-2020 - Measure 16.2 "Support for pilot projects and the development of new products, practices, processes, and technologies, with a funding amount of over 400,000 euros.
The artichoke is among the most important crops in the Puglia region, with a surface area of 12,130 hectares in 2017 and an annual production of 1,137,870 quintals, accounting for nearly 30% of the total in Italy (ISTAT). Currently, artichokes are marketed for fresh consumption or processing (frozen, preserved in oil or brine), with varying quality standards depending on the type of transformation. In the case of preserved products, energetic treatments are used, which significantly reduce the nutritional value of the artichoke.
The project aims to improve the competitiveness of the made-in-Puglia artichoke industry by strengthening various aspects along the value chain. This includes recovering local varieties, enhancing cultivation techniques with a focus on sustainability, introducing new fourth and fifth-range products, utilizing processing waste for the production of supplements and natural cosmetics, and, most importantly, improving the value chain's transformation process to fully capture the growth opportunities offered by the processed product market.
The partnership of the GO ICARUS project, led by CERICOLA S.R.L. (FG) company, includes various producers from the Capitanata area to the province of Brindisi. The project involves the participation of the University of Foggia, with Professor Maria Luisa Amodio as the scientific coordinator, and the University of Bari Aldo Moro, with Professor Giuseppe Demastro.
The operational group comprises the following members:
Il Vignale di Demaio e De Matteo brothers
Consorzio di difesa e valorizzazione delle produzioni agricole dell’ambiente e del territorio rurale of Brindisi province
Lillo Pasquale
Dare puglia s.c.r.l.
Cassandro s.r.l.
Cia – Italian Farmers - Puglia Regional Association (cia puglia)
Argentieri Giandomenico
Agricultural company Corrado Brothers
Febbraro Antonio
Sysman progetti & servizi s.r.l.
The project partners constitute an Operational Group of the PEI AGRI, a cooperation model based on an "interactive innovation model", which involves collaboration among various stakeholders to effectively utilize different complementary types of knowledge. The main objective is the co-creation and dissemination of ready-to-implement solutions and opportunities.
