Agrofood Research Hub is a multi-platform laboratory with the objective of developing innovative solutions to support the ecological transition in agriculture. The laboratory aims to serve as a bridge between advanced scientific research, the production sector, and institutions, in order to facilitate the widespread and comprehensive dissemination of innovation. Working closely with various stakeholders, the laboratory seeks to understand needs and design solutions for sustainability in agriculture and agro-food processing. The expertise within the laboratory allows for the support of supply chains in their innovation journey, considering their complexity and structure.

The laboratory represents a hard-soft structure dedicated to research in agricultural sciences and food processing. In its "hard" part, the laboratory spans an area of 600 square meters, divided into different spaces equipped with advanced analytical instrumentation for studies on biodiversity, ecosystem dynamics, and quality, ecotoxicology, sustainable animal and plant production, and soil fertility. In its "soft" part, the laboratory benefits from a range of expertise and modeling tools that allow for system analysis, scenario exploration, evaluation of optimal solutions, and decision support systems.

Teaching and Training 

The Laboratory contributes to the education of students, future professionals in the field, through educational activities and the development of thesis projects within the Bachelor's degree program in Sustainable Agricultural Systems and the Master's degree program in Technologies for Ecological Transition in Agriculture offered by the University of Brescia. 

The laboratory serves 8 thematic platforms 

Ecosystem Dynamics and Quality 

It develops and applies scientific approaches to study the impacts of organisms on human health and the economy, using data analysis tools and predictive models. It provides valuable insights for developing sustainable strategies in the management of organisms relevant to the economy, environment, and health. 

Ecotoxicology for the protection of the environment

Dedicated to ecotoxicology and environmental toxicology, it focuses on developing integrated chemical and biological tools to monitor natural and anthropogenic environmental matrices. The goal is to safeguard human health and natural resources, promoting sustainable management of the agro-food chain.

Sustainable Crop Production

It develops sustainable management systems for plant production, evaluating sustainability across all production sectors. It identifies management systems that integrate diverse technologies, supporting business planning and optimizing cultivation techniques for herbaceous and woody crops. 

Nutrient Dynamics and Soil Quality 

It evaluates the environmental impact of agronomic practices on soil properties, studying fertility and quality. The goal is to protect ecosystem biodiversity and mitigate climate change by quantifying nutrient flows in the soil.

Biodiversity Assessment 

It studies the structural and functional aspects of biodiversity in agro-ecosystems, developing scientific approaches to select agronomic practices that minimize negative impacts on biodiversity. It emphasizes the contribution of biodiversity to ecosystem services.

Sustainable Animal Production

It investigates, develops, and provides tools and models to support the production processes of agro-livestock farms, adopting a multidimensional approach to the agri-food chain. It identifies solutions for reducing the impact of livestock farming with a circular economy perspective.

Innovation and Economic Sustainability

It deals with applied economics in the agri-food and environmental sectors, identifying strategies for economic sustainability of agri-food systems. It analyzes innovation, business models, consumer preferences, and environmental resource management.

Multidimensional Assessment of Food Quality