Two winners on the first edition of the Italian Journalism Award on Food Innovation and Sustainability

The I Italian Journalism Awards ceremony, held online on the 17th December, gathered the agrifood sector and the journalism field in order to encourage the work of media professionals in their work to disseminate the values ​​associated with agrifood; increase consumer confidence, create healthier food options, improve food sustainability or educate to participate, innovate and advance.

The First EIT Food Italian Journalism Award on Food Innovation and Sustainability was promoted in collaboration with the National Union of the Journalist Associations of Agriculture, Food, Environment, Territory, Forests, Fishing, Energy Renewables (UNAGA) to reward the voices of journalism that tell food from the point of view of technological innovation and environmental sustainability.

The Milanese journalist Tommaso Cinquemani won the first award with an article dedicated to the New Breeding Techniques (the innovative and controversial techniques of acceleration and improvement of plant growth, now subject to European regulations on regulation of GMOs) and published by the online newspaper AgroNotizie. The winner of the second place, Valentina Celi, wrote about the circular economy ecosystem and social requalification of the Calabrian Fattoria della Piana.

A jury of leading industry experts was in charge of deciding the prizes; Sonia Massari (Food & Sustainability Lecturer at the Roma Tre University and Scientific Consultant of Future Food Institute), Duccio Caccioni (Agronomist, journalist, writer and scientific director FICO Foundation), Lorena Savani (Program Innovation Manager of EIT Food CLC South), Roberto Zalambani (President of UNAGA) and Maurizio Martina (Former Italian Minister of Agriculture). Moderating the event was Sara Roversi, president of the Future Food Institute, who also presented on the virtual stage of the event the speeches of the president of the FICO Foundation Andrea Segré, focused on how to build sustainable lifestyles starting from research, and the IULM professor expert in Future Food Living Lab.

Chosing the winners for the II edition of the Spanish Awards on Food Innovation and Sustainability was not an easy thing to do either. There were 72 interesting articles, but finally two women won the award for their great contribution in agrifood system. The first prize was given to Victoria González, who won a prize valued on 1500 euros. Josefina Maestre was the one obtaining the secong prize of 700 euros. Both of them share special concer about food and how important it is to preserve our world. Read more here.