The inauguration of the agro-industrial hub

Food Farm 4.0, a first-of-its-kind laboratory where young people will learn to how “do business” was opened in Parma last October. The ceremony was attended by the Ministry of Infrastructure Paola De Micheli.

3,000 square meters of total surface area, an estimated 500 students each year, six schools involved, and twelve companies – including Tropical Food Machinery – associations and local bodies that together will manage the structure.

Food Farm 4.0 is a unique project where students will have the unprecedented possibility of experiencing the functioning of a food production plant, from the fields to the finished product. In addition to the main plant, which has three pilot plants for food processing (food preserves, dairy products and bakery products), a packaging line and a laboratory for chemical analysis, there are fields where raw materials will be grown.

The production will start in mid-November, following the seasonal peculiarity of the Food Valley. The products will be available on the market under the brand “Bontà di Parma.” All of them will be compliant with the blockchain requirements, guaranteeing easy access to transparency, traceability and safety data.

The overall aim,said Stefano Concari, general manager of Tropical Food Machinery, is to turn Food Farm 4.0 into a blueprint for the future. “Food Farm 4.0 is a practical example of how the collaboration between local companies and institutions can lead to forward-looking projects able to both preserve and innovate local traditions while creating employment opportunities. I hope it’s only the beginning of a long journey.”