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Aims and research areas

The PhD in Mediterranean Agri-Food and Forestry Systems (SAAFM) is a three-year postgraduate course aimed at graduates in scientific and technological disciplines, which aims to provide students with theoretical-practical knowledge, analytical and experimental methodologies, highly qualified to face the challenges of sustainability in the agri-food and forestry sector and the need to ensure greater efficiency of production systems, protection of the environment and ecosystems, and high nutritional quality of food.

In particular, the PhD in SAAFM is characterized by its multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature, which allows PhD students to gain experience in different fields of research, such as: agricultural economics and valuation, agronomy and herbaceous and horticultural crop systems, tree and forest systems science and technology, agricultural, forestry and biosystems engineering, plant pathology and entomology, agricultural chemistry, agricultural genetics and pedology, food science and technology, agricultural microbiology, and animal science and technology.

The educational program includes educational activities aimed at deepening the knowledge of statistics applied to experimental research, language, and computer training, as well as seminar activities for research training. The course includes the possibility of training in foreign university institutions with which the faculty members of the SAAFM Doctoral College have developed scientific cooperation agreements.

 

Career opportunities and possible fields of employment for PhD students

The foreseeable career opportunities for PhD students in the SAAFM course are in the field of intellectual, scientific and highly specialized professions, i.e. professions that require a high level of knowledge and experience in science. PhD graduates will be professionals qualified to enhance, from an agro-technical and socio-economic point of view, the role of territorial resources and related activities, and to work for the development of productive activities, traditional and innovative, integrated with aspects of environmental protection and food safety.

The areas and types of employment are very diverse: basic and/or applied research in public and private research institutions; consultancy in companies in the agro-industrial, environmental and related sectors; public administrations; producer associations; schools; organizations working in the field of technology transfer and innovation; organizations involved in cooperation and development; agro-bioenergy development centers; and land resource planning bodies.

 

Consistency with the objectives of the NRP

The objectives of the PhD in Mediterranean Agri-Food and Forestry Systems (SAAFM) are in line with the objectives of the NRP and in particular with Mission 2 "Green Revolution and Ecological Transition" and Mission 4 "Education and Research". Indeed, the PhD course aims to train highly qualified individuals capable of managing agro-ecosystems and agri-food, forestry, and livestock production chains from the perspective of economic, environmental and social sustainability. Sustainability that can be achieved by minimizing the environmental impact, by rationalizing and efficiently using the natural resources of the territories and by using innovative tools, models and technologies aimed at the valorization and redevelopment of the same territories.

This is in line with Mission 2 and more specifically with Submissions C1 (M2C1) "Sustainable Agriculture and Circular Economy" and C4 (M2C4) "Protection of Land and Water Resources" aimed at supporting and accelerating the process of ecological transition to full neutrality and sustainable development of supply chains and territories. Submission M2C1 aims to achieve the goal of full environmental sustainability through the adoption of innovative and sustainable business models from the field to the table, with the goal of creating "green" supply chains, improving the sustainability of production processes, processing, distribution and valorization of waste and by-products of processing. In this sense, the SAAFM PhD course provides the tools and skills needed to achieve these ambitious goals, bringing environmental protection and food safety into the cultural and professional focus of doctoral students.

With regard to the objectives of M2C4, the PhD will provide the necessary skills to understand and manage hydrogeological disturbance phenomena, including those related to climate change, and to ensure the efficient use of water resources. Another priority of M2C4 is to improve the well-being of citizens and safeguard biodiversity through the protection of green spaces, soils and marine areas. These objectives are linked to the main areas of research and innovation outlined in the National Research Program (NRP) 2021-27, and in particular to section 5.5.2 "Climate change, mitigation and adaptation", which highlights how the acceleration of climate change must push science to identify adaptation strategies through the convergence of transdisciplinary expertise involving different research fields. The integration of multidisciplinary knowledge and expertise (biological, economic, engineering, agronomic, etc.), which characterizes the SAAFM PhD research project, fully meets the expectations of the NRP.

Moreover, the objectives of the SAAFM PhD are in line with Mission 4 "Education and Research", which aims at strengthening the conditions for the development of a knowledge-intensive and competitive economy, also in response to the reduced integration of the results of research activities in the production system. In particular, the SAAFM PhD aims to train individuals with advanced skills and in line with the demand for professionalism in the labor market, thus favoring the transfer of research and its valorization in both the public and private sectors.

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Aims and research areas

The PhD in Mediterranean Agri-Food and Forestry Systems (SAAFM) is a three-year postgraduate course aimed at graduates in scientific and technological disciplines, which aims to provide students with theoretical-practical knowledge, analytical and experimental methodologies, highly qualified to face the challenges of sustainability in the agri-food and forestry sector and the need to ensure greater efficiency of production systems, protection of the environment and ecosystems, and high nutritional quality of food.

In particular, the PhD in SAAFM is characterized by its multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature, which allows PhD students to gain experience in different fields of research, such as: agricultural economics and valuation, agronomy and herbaceous and horticultural crop systems, tree and forest systems science and technology, agricultural, forestry and biosystems engineering, plant pathology and entomology, agricultural chemistry, agricultural genetics and pedology, food science and technology, agricultural microbiology, and animal science and technology.

The educational program includes educational activities aimed at deepening the knowledge of statistics applied to experimental research, language, and computer training, as well as seminar activities for research training. The course includes the possibility of training in foreign university institutions with which the faculty members of the SAAFM Doctoral College have developed scientific cooperation agreements.

 

Career opportunities and possible fields of employment for PhD students

The foreseeable career opportunities for PhD students in the SAAFM course are in the field of intellectual, scientific and highly specialized professions, i.e. professions that require a high level of knowledge and experience in science. PhD graduates will be professionals qualified to enhance, from an agro-technical and socio-economic point of view, the role of territorial resources and related activities, and to work for the development of productive activities, traditional and innovative, integrated with aspects of environmental protection and food safety.

The areas and types of employment are very diverse: basic and/or applied research in public and private research institutions; consultancy in companies in the agro-industrial, environmental and related sectors; public administrations; producer associations; schools; organizations working in the field of technology transfer and innovation; organizations involved in cooperation and development; agro-bioenergy development centers; and land resource planning bodies.

 

Consistency with the objectives of the NRP

The objectives of the PhD in Mediterranean Agri-Food and Forestry Systems (SAAFM) are in line with the objectives of the NRP and in particular with Mission 2 "Green Revolution and Ecological Transition" and Mission 4 "Education and Research". Indeed, the PhD course aims to train highly qualified individuals capable of managing agro-ecosystems and agri-food, forestry, and livestock production chains from the perspective of economic, environmental and social sustainability. Sustainability that can be achieved by minimizing the environmental impact, by rationalizing and efficiently using the natural resources of the territories and by using innovative tools, models and technologies aimed at the valorization and redevelopment of the same territories.

This is in line with Mission 2 and more specifically with Submissions C1 (M2C1) "Sustainable Agriculture and Circular Economy" and C4 (M2C4) "Protection of Land and Water Resources" aimed at supporting and accelerating the process of ecological transition to full neutrality and sustainable development of supply chains and territories. Submission M2C1 aims to achieve the goal of full environmental sustainability through the adoption of innovative and sustainable business models from the field to the table, with the goal of creating "green" supply chains, improving the sustainability of production processes, processing, distribution and valorization of waste and by-products of processing. In this sense, the SAAFM PhD course provides the tools and skills needed to achieve these ambitious goals, bringing environmental protection and food safety into the cultural and professional focus of doctoral students.

With regard to the objectives of M2C4, the PhD will provide the necessary skills to understand and manage hydrogeological disturbance phenomena, including those related to climate change, and to ensure the efficient use of water resources. Another priority of M2C4 is to improve the well-being of citizens and safeguard biodiversity through the protection of green spaces, soils and marine areas. These objectives are linked to the main areas of research and innovation outlined in the National Research Program (NRP) 2021-27, and in particular to section 5.5.2 "Climate change, mitigation and adaptation", which highlights how the acceleration of climate change must push science to identify adaptation strategies through the convergence of transdisciplinary expertise involving different research fields. The integration of multidisciplinary knowledge and expertise (biological, economic, engineering, agronomic, etc.), which characterizes the SAAFM PhD research project, fully meets the expectations of the NRP.

Moreover, the objectives of the SAAFM PhD are in line with Mission 4 "Education and Research", which aims at strengthening the conditions for the development of a knowledge-intensive and competitive economy, also in response to the reduced integration of the results of research activities in the production system. In particular, the SAAFM PhD aims to train individuals with advanced skills and in line with the demand for professionalism in the labor market, thus favoring the tra

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Study and research activities in the following disciplines and with main reference to the topics listed in the following, that are developed if necessary by multi-disciplinary approaches. AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AND APPRAISAL – Common agricultural policy regarding both territory management models and agri-food chains. Supply, valorization, quality and traceability of agri-food products and by-products. Relations between the management of the firm and the agri-food supply chains and the other economic, social and environmental sub-systems, also in relation to production and consumption trends (agro-ecology, fair trade, alternative agri-food networks, ecc.). Market and consumption analysis of agri-food products and analysis of agri-food firms’ marketing strategies. Land evaluation and environmental assessment. Management of urban greenery, landscape, rural territory, forest environment and ecosystem services. AGRONOMY AND FIELD, VEGETABLE, ORNAMENTAL CROPPING – Use efficiency of environmental resources (water, light, nutrients) in field and horticultural crop systems. Carbon sequestration and emission of greenhouse gases in agricultural systems. Efficiency of symbiotic and associative relationships between soil microorganisms and crops. Ecophysiology of crops. Management techniques of field and horticultural crop systems at different levels of intensification in the Mediterranean environment. Soil pollution: effects on the functionality of crop systems and decontamination techniques. Valorization of autochthonous plant resources. Efficiency of forage systems and their components. Quality of the production of field and horticultural crop species. Energy crops. Seed production. Agronomic, genetic and technological innovation in response to climate change. Landscape management. ARBORICULTURE AND FOREST SYSTEMS – Energy balance, resilience and ecological footprint of fruit tree systems. Eco-physiology of woody plants and precision fruit growing. Agro-industrial and nutraceutical enhancement of products of fruit and forest species and cultivars. Optimization of the use of environmental and energy resources of tree and forest systems. Product innovation, technology and ripening and post-harvest physiology of fruit. Landscape management. Conservation and management of historic gardens. AGRICULTURAL, FOREST AND BIOSYTEMS ENGINEERING – Water conservation. Soil water erosion. Water resources planning and management. Irrigation and drainage. Hydrology of small watersheds. Soil hydrology. Use of non-conventional water resources for irrigation. Watershed protection. Machinery and mechanization in agricultural and forest systems. Technologies in the transformation of agri-food and forest products. Rural land management also in a context of climate change. PLANT PATHOLOGY AND ENTOMOLOGY – Ecology, physiology and biochemistry of plant pathogens, phytophagous insects and their natural antagonists in agricultural and forestry systems. Development and application of biological and integrated pest control practices also aimed at improving functional biodiversity in agro-forestry systems. Environmental sustainability of the production and transformation of agro-food products. AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY, AGRICULTURAL GENETICS AND PEDOLOGY – Chemical, chemical-physical and biochemical indicators for monitoring soil degradation. Innovative techniques for soil quality protection. FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY – Food transformation and preservation processes. Evaluation and characterization of raw materials, unitary processing operations, stabilization and conditioning of food, development of new processes/products, use of by-products. Quality control, availability and sustainability of food production. AGRICULTURAL MICROBIOLOGY – Biological and molecular processes involved in the transformation, conservation and quality of agro-food products. Use and enhancement of by-products. ANIMAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY – Livestock farming technologies to manage environmental sustainability, animal welfare and animal food safety. Enhancement of autochthonous livestock breeds and their typical products. Development and management of forage systems for livestock to limit production seasonality, and improve the efficiency of nutrients utilization by animals and the quality of their products. Use of innovative feeds and agro-industrial by-products in livestock feeding, evaluating the effects of their bioactive compounds on animals, products and environment.