Agritalia has been recognized by Whole Foods Market as a winner of the grocer’s ninth-annual Supplier Awards, taking home the honor of Supplier of the Year with Special Recognition. The Whole Foods Market Supplier Awards distinguish 42 companies that raised the bar in 2020, including local, regional, and national brands across all product categorie...

LED lights, a small patch of land, and zero emissions provide the formula for making the agriculture of the future a reality, sprouting superb basil and other greens in the most unlikely of places.  Two lauded entrepreneurs have crafted a cutting-edge approach for vertical greenhouse cultivation that mixes technology and flavor while putting the en...

More than a century ago, Italian immigrants who had settled in the lush green valleys outside Walla Walla in eastern Washington perfected a sweet onion.  Once considered just a humble local variety, the Walla Walla onion today is prized for its mild sweet flavor. It commands higher prices in grocery stores and is feature in many high-end restaurant...

The agreement between the Italian Ministry of Agriculture – ICQRF, OrIGin Italia, Federdoc, and eBay for the protection of Italian Geographical Indications on the e-commerce platform has been renewed. The agreement consolidates the already existing collaboration between Italy’s institutions and eBay, confirming the strategic role of this e-commerce...

In the last decade pesticide sales have plummeted by -32% in Italian agriculture, which ranks as the greenest in Europe. This is what emerges from an analysis by Italian farmers association Coldiretti on Eurostat data for the period between 2011 and 2019. This trend is in contrast to other major producing countries’ such as Spain and Germany, where...

The tomato is one of the symbols of Italian cuisine. It's one of the most popular vegetables in herb gardens throughout Italy, so much so that it's the basis of many recipes of Italian culinary tradition: from the famous pasta with tomato to the equally acclaimed pizza. Tomato is one of the main vegetables of the Italian culinary tradition. There a...

Olive oil, widely used in Italian cuisine, has ancient origins dating back to the dawn of the earliest civilizations. Indeed, the first evidence of the use of oil goes back to 4000 BC in Armenia, Palestine, and even India where, beyond food feed, it was also used as an ointment, for lamps and for therapeutic purposes. Later, in 2500 B.C., the famou...

Saffron has wielded legendary power through the centuries. Greek mythology states that the young Crocus bore an unapproved love for the nymph Smilace. As a result, the gods punished him, transforming him into a beautiful flower, Crocus sativus, the botanical name of a plant around 4 inches tall with threadlike leaves and scarlet pistils. The Atheni...

In this week’s edition of Cibo & Cinema, a look at olive harvesting in Calabria with one of my favorite short films- Luigi Di Gianni’s 1967 “Tempo di Raccolta,” which documents a day in the life of Calabrese women as they work in the olive groves of the region.  The simple yet stunning beauty of those majestic centuries-old trees, Di Gianni’s choic...

Sunshine, stone steps, and fig trees. As I walked down into the village, I was welcomed by several “Buongiorno Signorina” greetings from the windows.  “Did you sleep well?”"Did you see how beautiful the sea is this morning?" And smiles. Lots of smiles.The aroma of coffee swept through the lively square, and I stop as I hear the voices in the castle...