Meet CREA – Council for Agricultural Research and Economics

CREA, the Consiglio per la Ricerca e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria is the most important Italian Institution devoted to research and innovation in the Agri-Food. Sector. It is operating under the supervision of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, in the field of agriculture, environment, agro-industry, food, fisheries and forestry, economy, with a unique multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach.

CREA is organized in 12 Research Centers: 6 related to specific supply chains and 6 dedicated to cross-cutting topics. CREA know-how includes sustainable productions (with emphasis on practices), waste reduction and recycling, nutritional properties of foods, dietary aspects, consumer protection and education. 

The Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA) has expertise and research activities in organic farming, systems redesign through agroecological perspectives, agrobiodiversity management and ecosystem services provision, stakeholder engagement and networking through Participatory action research (PAR). 

In the frame of AE4EU, CREA-AA has subcontracted the Italian Foundation for Research in Organic and Biodynamic Agriculture (FIRAB) which contributes to the implementation of specific project tasks as, for example, the involvement of the IT relevant stakeholders. 

The ambition of the CREA-AA/FIRAB Team is to take part to the ongoing discussion regarding the most effective trajectories to implement research and innovation for agroecology in the next years at European and Member State level.  The activities we are carrying out have been designed to provide knowledge and guidance to the policymakers who are committed to draft quality research and innovation programmes aimed at fostering and promoting agroecology and sustainable transformation of European agro-food systems. 

Stefano Canali, Research Manager and CREA leader of AE4EU

In AE4EU, CREA-AA is involved at different levels in all the tasks. More specifically, CREA-AA is leading the mapping of agroecology research initiatives at European, Transnational and National level. The CREA-AA and FIRAB Team involved in AE4EU is composed of 4 researchers with an interdisciplinary background, 2 officers of the CREA Communication office and administrative staff.

Authors: Stefano Canali, Micaela Conterio, Cristina Giannetti