The conference ‘Medicinal plants: the Mediterranean supply chain’, scheduled for 27 January at the University of Salerno, was an opportunity for experts, institutions and operators in the sector to meet and discuss in preparation for the Spices & Herbs conference Global Expo, the exhibition dedicated to spices and medicinal herbs hosted by Macfrut, which will be held at the Rimini Fair from 3 to 5 May 2023.
The one billion euros market in Italy
In Italy, the market for Medicinal Plants is worth approximately €1 billion, with about 4,000 tonnes produced in a cultivated area of approximately 7,300 hectares. Southern Italian regions play a key role in this sector, since medicinal plants are a major driving force for development, and this is due to the distinctive features of these areas: diverse natural environments, biodiversity, climate, and the local culture and traditions. Based on scientific research results, several outstanding entrepreneurial projects have been launched in these regions, which have led to the development of integrated supply chains, ranging from cultivation in fields to industrial applications in such areas as nutrition, cosmetics and therapeutics. All these experiences will be discussed during the Round Table on Friday, in particular five case histories of companies from just as many regions of Southern Italy (Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Apulia and Sicily), which are successfully tackling the challenges posed by the Italian and international markets.
The round table focused on production experience in Southern Italy
The first session, at 10 am, was opened by Pietro Campiglia (Director of the Department of Pharmacy of the University of Salerno), Lucia Coletta (Manager of Development Services for Medicinal Plants of the Regional Government of Campania), and Andrea Primavera (President of FIPPO – Italian Federation of Medicinal Plant Producers). Subsequently, Vincenzo De Feo, full professor of Pharmaceutical Biology at the University of Salerno, will give a speech on ‘Medicinal plant biodiversity in Southern Italy’.
The Round Table, which will be moderated by Demetrio Benelli, director of Erboristeria Domani, will focus on comparing production experiences in Southern Italy: Vincenzo Salamone, CEO of VOS Group (Basilicata); Vincenzo Mollace, Scientific Director of H&AD Herbal and Antioxidant Derivatives (Calabria), Piero de Bartolomeis, CEO of Elody (Campania), Domenico Scordari, CEO of N&B benefit corporation (Apulia), and Violetta Insolia, Innovation Manager at Bionap (Sicily).
The concluding remarks will be delivered by Luigi Bianchi of Macfrut who will be presenting the second edition of the Spices & Herbs Global Expo, to be held at the Rimini Expo Centre (3-5 May).
