Point of contact at UniTrento
prof. Matteo Ferrari (coordinator)
prof. Simone Cerroni
prof. Emanuela Bozzini
prof. Francesca Forno

This research group brings together scholars working on the complex challenges facing contemporary food systems to support a transition toward more sustainable and equitable models of production and consumption. The focus is not only on technical innovation but also on the broader social, cultural, political, and environmental dimensions of transforming the food system.
The group examines how processes of change emerge and take shape across different levels, involving diverse actors, institutions, and modes of organisation.

The cluster addresses the complex social, legal and economic challenges shaping contemporary food systems, with the goal of supporting a transition toward more sustainable, resilient and equitable models of production and consumption. The cluster goes beyond technical innovation to examine the institutional, cultural, political and behavioural dimensions that influence how food systems evolve.

Research topics include how processes of change emerge across multiple levels, involving diverse actors, governance arrangements and market structures. A central focus is the comparative analysis of agri-food regulation and its role in steering innovation and sustainability, alongside the study of how producers and consumers perceive, adopt and respond to new technologies, products and policies.
The methodology is based on interdisciplinary approaches grounded in law, economics, marketing and behavioural sciences.

Research lines:

Internationalisation of agri-food regulation through a comparative lens, with particular attention to

• The regulation of precision agriculture.
• The regulation of innovation, including the protection of new plant varieties and policies for technology transfer.
• The regulation of sustainability, especially through private law initiatives aimed at protecting the environment and landscape.

Investigation of how consumers and producers perceive and respond to innovation in the agri-food sector, using approaches grounded in marketing, behavioural, and experimental analysis.

• Acceptance of innovative and sustainable products and packaging solutions.
• Acceptance of policies aimed at promoting healthier and more sustainable diets and lifestyles, including interventions such as nudging and taxation (e.g., sugar, fat, plastic taxes).
• Adoption of sustainable production systems, characterised by lower carbon footprints and reduced use of pesticides, nitrates, and phosphates.
• Adoption of risk management tools such as multi-peril insurance, mutual funds, and futures contracts.

Studies on food systems transformation and local policies.

• Emergence and governance of alternative food distribution and consumption models.
• The development and implementation of local food policies.
• The politics of pesticide regulation within the European Union.