Maker Faire Rome 2021, starring projects | Food & Agriculture

Is it possible to design a community composter that fits the concept of circular economy and agriculture 4.0? Can Artificial Intelligence be our ally in ice cream recipes? And is ethical delivery possible? These are just a few of the questions that the makers of Maker Faire Rome 2021 have tried to answer in their Food & Agriculture projects. We’ve chosen five for you. Here they are in detail.

LOMBRICOMPOSTIERA

The lombricomposter is a new idea of community composter that fits the concept of circular economy and agriculture 4.0. It is designed to be customised for private and public activities (apartment blocks and medium to large farms, schools, canteens, small municipalities), combining environmental benefits and enriching the soil with nutrients. The design of lombricomposteria recalls the shape of an earthworm and gives an idea of the dynamism of the whole composting process. The sustainability and efficiency of the entire process is guaranteed by the level of automation that can be managed remotely. Particular attention was paid to the choice of external materials, which are sustainable and have a low environmental impact. The team is made up of four professionals from Tuscany, Umbria and Calabria. Donato Politana, doctor in Viticulture and Enology, Ludovica Bigozzi, doctor in Agricultural Sciences, Irene Ventura and Roberto Ceccaroni, doctor in Herbal Sciences. All team members are currently enrolled in the Master’s degree course in “Agri-food Production and Agri-ecosystems Management” at the University of Pisa.

FREYA

Fabio Giovanni and Aldo Pasquale Pasquarella brought a very special project to Maker Faire Rome 2021. It is a technology that uses Artificial Intelligence to create ice cream recipes from scratch. According to its designers, «Freya can provide different versions of the same recipe, it also self-learns and solves the most complex cases in full autonomy, providing an ice cream with optimised physical parameters». Fabio and Aldo are passionate about science, with a wealth of certifications in AI, physics, chemistry and nutrition. They are also the authors of the blog didatticagelato.it, a reference point in the open content science of gelato.

GIUSTA

Giusta is a new delivery platform that wants to innovate the logic of food delivery, with a well-defined positioning that aims to change the status quo regarding the ethicality of commissions, rider protection, limited coverage of deliveries and quality of the food delivered. At Maker Faire Rome 2021 it brought its model of «sustainable, ethical and guaranteed digital food delivery», according to its author Virgilio Maretto.

PHYTO-PURIFICATION

Simonetta Pancaldi, Professor of Botany at the University of Ferrara, brought her project on wastewater purification to Maker Faire Rome 2021. Phyto-purification, in particular, is carried out by microalgae isolated from the wastewater itself and suitably selected to reduce loads of nitrogen and phosphorous pollutants. The purified water can be released into the environment as the concentration of nutrients is below legal limits. The prototype combines the design of an open pond with that of a closed photo bioreactor to ensure controlled growth of microalgae without significant external interference. Phyto-purification also involves the production of microalgae biomass that can be used for bioenergy purposes or to produce fertilisers for organic farming.

KIWI AGRO

Kiwi Agro is a startup founded by Federica and Enrico Ferrari that is also an example of circular economy. The family business has been growing kiwi hayward for 30 years like many other farmers. «Even our father – the siblings recount – found himself with a portion of the crop that the retail market did not want due to aesthetic issues. Hence our father’s intuition to create a recipe that used that second choice, an intuition that we studied, refined, perfected and patented, creating the first 100% kiwi vinegar on the market». Kiwi vinegar is an innovative product that not only lends itself to many uses in the kitchen, with its new and distinctive taste, but also responds perfectly to the ever-increasing demand for healthy food.

SIENA FOOD LAB

Siena Food Lab is a technology transfer and training project, supporting the agro-food sector, promoted by the MPS Foundation and Santa Chiara Lab. The project aims to support farms in the Province of Siena in the transition towards more sustainable production systems, characterised by the use of technological and digital innovations, providing a final evaluation of the impact and effectiveness of their application. Siena Food Lab, therefore, in addition to providing precision agriculture services to companies, has initiated training courses aimed at contributing to the growth of the skills of students, entrepreneurs, agronomists, agro-technicians, and other professionals in the sector.

sources: makerfairerome.eu

coverphoto: lombricomposteria

Maker Faire Rome – The European Edition has been committed since nine editions to make innovation accessible and usable to all, with the aim of not leaving anyone behind. Its blog is always updated and full of opportunities and inspiration for makers, makers, startups, SMEs and all the curious ones who wish to enrich their knowledge and expand their business, in Italy and abroad.

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