WITH THE CONTRIBUTION OF 

Natural capital, understood as the ensemble of natural resources in their structural and dynamic aspects, is the key element for the generation and regulation of ecosystem services. It underpins primary production processes and plays a fundamental role in promoting and maintaining human well-being. The sustainable management of natural capital requires that the consumption rates of natural resources, globally considered within their systemic interconnections, be lower than the regenerative capacity of natural capital. The design and implementation of sustainable resource management models are essential tools for the transition towards socio-ecological systems that balance human activities (individual needs, community demands, and productive sector requirements) with the dynamics of the ecosystems in which humans live and operate.

Food systems represent the set of processes and infrastructures involved in providing food to humans (from cultivation to consumption and waste disposal). These systems operate within and are influenced by social, political, economic, and environmental contexts, requiring human resources to provide labor, research, and education. In this Project, food systems are considered complex socio-ecological systems, encompassing the social, political, economic, and environmental actors and processes that influence the production, transformation, and consumption of food.

The University of Brescia is strongly committed to developing and supporting strategies for the integrated analysis and management of food systems, aiming to promote the transformation of these systems towards sustainability. This ensures the protection of human and planetary health (in line with the principles known as "One Health") and fair remuneration for all actors in the food chain. To further strengthen its commitment to these goals, the University of Brescia has established the Agrofood Research Hub Laboratory to develop strategies, methods, and techniques for creating robust, resilient, and sustainable food systems.