FAO - Regional Roundtable on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 3-5 april 2012, Budapest, Hungary Research Activity on MAPs carried out at CRA-MPF of Trento, Italy, and brief summary on the state of the art of MAPs cultivation in Italy Pietro Fusani Agricultural Research Council, Forest Monitoring and Management Research Unit (CRA-MPF), Trento, Italy

CRA-MPF, Forest Monitoring and Management Research Unit is one of the 47 Research Institutes of the Agricultural Research Council of Italy - CRA CRA-MPF is located in Trento, North East of Italy, within the Alpine Arc FAO - Regional Roundtable on MAPs april 2012, Budapest, Hungary

Research Activity on MAPs carried out at CRA-MPF has been going on since early ‘80es, and was mainly focused on breeding and improvement of cultivation techniques of the species: Arnica montana, Gentiana lutea, Salvia officinalis, Matricaria chamomilla, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Insecticide plants… and many others In the last ten years, research activity has been mainly addressed on Alpine and Mountain plants FAO - Regional Roundtable on MAPs april 2012, Budapest, Hungary

Present research activities: Project RGV-FAO (phase III, ) Funded since 2004 by the Italian Ministry of Agricultural Policies (MiPAAF) Implementation of the 2001 FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture – PGRFA 27 Research Institutes are involved in Italy (25 of CRA) CRA-MPF of Trento: competence in MAPs FAO - Regional Roundtable on MAPs april 2012, Budapest, Hungary

Research activities: Recovery of accessions (autochthonous species) Characterization (morphologic, agronomic, qualitative) Domestication and settlement of cultivation technique (some alpine species) Valorization (productivity) Conservation (ex situ, in vivo and seed short and medium term) Investigation is mainly focused on the following species: Arnica montana, Echinacea angustifolia, Gentiana lutea, Rhodiola rosea, Cicerbita alpina (edible) Furthermore, a germplasm collection consisting of 105 MAPs species (42 indigenous of the Alps) is conserved at CRA-MPF FAO - Regional Roundtable on MAPs april 2012, Budapest, Hungary

CRA-MPF MAPs Working Group: is member of ECPGR Working Group on MAPs, and recently participated to the “Oregano project” collaborates with local Institutions (Autonomous Province of Trento), for the development of the local productive sector of MAPs, in defining a regulation, spreading technical informations among the farmers, organizing qualifing professional course for MAPs growers… Takes part to the recently settled (2011) National Roundtable for the MAPs Chain, promoted by the Italian Ministry of Agricultural Policies with the aim to strenghten the chain of MAPs in Italy FAO - Regional Roundtable on MAPs april 2012, Budapest, Hungary

The first activity planned by the MiPAAF Roundtable, is to make a survey on the productive sector of MAPs in Italy: MAPs cultivation in Italy is a very small sector compared with those of other crops (fruit, vegetable, industrial etc.) lack of available data on cultivation of MAPs last detailed studies: 1989: Survey of ISMEA (Institute of Services on Agricultural and Food Market) 1999: Survey made by Dr. Carla Vender of CRA-MPF FAO - Regional Roundtable on MAPs april 2012, Budapest, Hungary

2010 updated data about MAPs production in Italy (unofficial): N° of Producers: 400 Total Cultivated Area: 7 ÷ 8 thousand Ha N° of Cultivated Species: 120 Total Production: 2 ÷ 3 thousand tons (300 tons of essential oil) Internal Demand: 30 thousand tons Consecuence: high import, but also big potencial of growth Source: Dr. A. Primavera, FIPPO (Italian Federation of MAPs Producers) and Assoerbe (Italian Association of MAPs producers and traders) FAO - Regional Roundtable on MAPs april 2012, Budapest, Hungary

SpeciesHectares Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)4000 Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)1500 Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra ) 350 Manna Ash (Fraxinus spp)200 German Chamomille (Matricaria chamomilla)200 Lavanda vera and hibrida (Lavandula angustifolia, L. vera)190 Myrtle (Myrtus communis)160 Peppermint (Menta x piperita)130 Oregano (Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum)80 Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)50 Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)40 Sage, Rosemary, Fennel30 each Mostly cultivated MAPs species in Italy Source: Dr. A. Primavera (FIPPO) and Assoerbe FAO - Regional Roundtable on MAPs april 2012, Budapest, Hungary

Localization of main MAPs cultivations in Italy by Region Source: Dr. A. Primavera (FIPPO), Sardenia and Sicilia Regions, ENSE Piedmont: 500 ha, lavender, peppermint, liquor plants Tuscany and Umbria, 470 ha: chamomille, passiflower, lemon balm lavender etc. Sicily and Calabria: citrus oil 1500 ha Sardinia: helychrisum, myrtle, saffron Adriatic coast and inland valleys: coriander, 4000 ha Calabria: Licorice 350 ha Sicily: oregano 75 ha FAO - Regional Roundtable on MAPs april 2012, Budapest, Hungary

Some more MAPs productions in Italy, by region Veneto: echinacea, onion essential oil Liguria: basil, sage, rosemary for fresh market Puglia: fresh aromatics (parsley, basil, sage) Abruzzo: saffron FAO - Regional Roundtable on MAPs april 2012, Budapest, Hungary Source: Dr. A. Primavera (FIPPO), ENSE

Tipologies of MAPs producers in Italy: Small free-lance growers (0,1 ÷ 1 Ha): Trentino Alto Adige mountain farmers, dried herbs for local market (tourism) Cooperatives (50 ÷ 100 Ha): Cooperativa Pancalieri, Piemonte, Italy: 70 associates, main crop peppermint Individual enterprises (few hectares) Medium big enterprises: Aboca, Toscana: industrial crops, 350 different products FAO - Regional Roundtable on MAPs april 2012, Budapest, Hungary

Strenghtness points of the sector High quality of products Tradition: saffron in Abruzzo, licorice in Calabria Most of production (> 65%) is certified as organic Consumers often prefer (or would prefer) a national product Weakness points High cost of labour Difficulty in finding a market Lack of know-how Lack of technical support Scarce interest of the politics Unrelevant critical mass FAO - Regional Roundtable on MAPs april 2012, Budapest, Hungary

Thanks to: The FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia Dr. Carla Vender, Senior Researcher of CRA-MPF Dr. Andrea Primavera, Italian Federation of MAPs Producers Thank you for your attention!