Cittaslow and the University of Parma: A Roundtable on Food Law, Culture, and Sustainability

The concluding event of a joint seminar cycle brings the voices of our local territories to the academic stage on April 28th.

On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at 3:00 PM, the University of Parma will host a crucial roundtable discussion titled "Cittaslow, between Sustainability and Food Policies". Taking place at the University's Main Building (Via Università 12), this event marks the culmination of a highly successful collaboration between Cittaslow International and the Master's Degree program in Global Food Law (Department of Law, Politics and International Studies).

The roundtable serves as a vital moment of synthesis for the four seminars held between February and March 2026 across our Italian Cittaslow network. Hosted in the municipalities of Parrano, Santarcangelo di Romagna, Mulazzo, and Gioi, these meetings tackled key issues within the contemporary agri-food system from a deeply interdisciplinary perspective, highlighting the essential link between academic research and the everyday practices of our local communities.

The afternoon will open with greetings from Cittaslow International's leadership, including President Mauro Migliorini and Secretary General Pier Giorgio Oliveti, alongside Lucia Scaffardi, coordinator of the Food for Future project.

The panel will feature the academic experts who guided the local seminars across our towns:

• Valeria Paganizza (Food Labels: How to Read Them?), who will discuss conscious labeling as a tool for consumer protection and a significant challenge for our small-scale, local producers.

• Antonino Finocchiaro, expanding on the profound cultural and symbolic value of wine (Vine, Wine, and Religions, a topic co-hosted locally with Giancarlo Anello).

• Tommaso Bonamini (Short Supply Chains and Local Protections), exploring the vital opportunities that short supply chains and direct agricultural contracts offer to our inland areas.

• Giacomo Degli Antoni (Consumers and Novel Foods), analyzing the potential of new foods to combine environmental sustainability with food security and consumer acceptance.

  
  

Through the active involvement of professors, researchers, local producers, and our Cittaslow communities, this initiative has fostered a concrete and ongoing dialogue. It has successfully brought to light the critical issues, best practices, and future development paths necessary to protect our food heritage.

The April 28th roundtable will be a unique opportunity to share these insights with students, citizens, and the Cittaslow Mayors in attendance. It represents a significant step forward in strengthening the bond between universities and local territories, actively contributing to our shared mission of building more conscious, fair, and sustainable food models.