In less than a month, the first Mantuan PGI Melon Symposium will bring together Italian and European production and distribution operators in Mantua for three days of discussion on the most relevant topics of the melon value chain. The program will include guided tours of experimental fields, opportunities for in-depth analysis, and various networking sessions.
Production dynamics in Italy and Europe
The main event of the Symposium, promoted by the Consortium for the Promotion and Protection of the Mantuan PGI Melon in collaboration with seed companies, will be the conference organized by SG Marketing, held on Wednesday, July 23, starting at 5:00 PM at the Ducal Palace in Mantua.
The event aims to provide an ambitious and innovative vision of the melon value chain, giving voice to both producers and consumers with the objective of generating real value for the end consumer. Conference will feature renowned sector experts, who will discuss current and future challenges for the supply chain, including the impact of climate change and new consumption scenarios. The debate will focus on production dynamics in Italy and Europe, the evolution of purchasing habits in Italy and the Mediterranean basin, and the increasingly strategic role of territorial identity and its productive potential.
The presentations will provide a detailed analysis of the sector’s current situation and expand the focus toward emerging market challenges. Among the keynote speakers is Elisa Macchi, Director of CSO Italy, who will outline national and European production trends. Also highly anticipated is the intervention of physicist and meteorologist Andrea Giuliacci, who will explain how global warming is affecting agricultural production capacity. The topic of consumption habits will also be addressed.
RELATED NEWS: First Mantuan PGI Melon Symposium
Specifically, the international research institute YouGov will present an overview of food sector trends, followed by an exclusive survey conducted in several countries by SG Marketing, titled “The Melon Experience: Between Shopping Processes and Consumption.” Focusing on Italy, France, and Spain, the survey included 2,600 grocery decision-makers from these countries. The study provides updated insights into consumer perceptions of the category, main barriers to purchase, key information sought at the point of sale, and the role of origin and territory in purchasing decisions.
To conclude the day, member companies of the Consortium will share direct experiences, illustrating the current state of production and the strategies being implemented to enhance and promote the Mantuan PGI Melon.
“This conference,” declared Mauro Aguzzi, President of the Consortium, “represents the core moment of the Symposium: a high-level dialogue between production, distribution, and consumption, designed to generate vision, stimulate innovation, and strengthen the market value of the Mantuan PGI Melon in Italy and across Europe. It marks a new starting point—based on updated and shared data—from which to build strategies capable of guiding the entire sector through future challenges.”
First Mantuan PGI Melon Symposium
From July 22 to 24, Mantua and its surrounding areas will become an open-air laboratory for the first Mantuan PGI Melon Symposium. The event, organized by the Consortium for the Protection and Promotion of the Mantuan PGI Melon, is supported by Bayer, BASF, HM Clause, Syngenta, and Rijk Zwaan. Over three days, guided tours of experimental fields and technical meetings will be held to foster dialogue between producers, distributors, and communicators. The Symposium aims to promote a product with deep historical roots: already during the Renaissance, under the rule of the Gonzaga family, Mantuan melon was considered a prized gift for nobility. Today, that legacy looks firmly to the future.
