I am full Professor of Food Policy and a researcher with 30+ years of experience in research projects at international, EU, national, regional and local levels. My research focusses on sustainable rural development and the sustainability of food systems, as well as the related innovation processes. By now, this work has resulted in 90+ scientific publications, 15+ book chapters, several books and other academic contributions.

In the last 20 years, I have been involved in nearly 20 EU-funded research projects and coordinated four of them: TRUC (Transforming Rural Communication), GLAMUR (Global and Local food Chain Assessment: a multidimensional performance-based approach), DESIRA  (Digitisation: Economic and Social Impacts in Rural Areas’) and CODECS (Maximising the CO-benefits of agricultural Digitalisation through conducive digital ECoSystems).

I have coordinated the UNIPI bachelor’s programme in Viticulture and Enology, and I am now director of the post-graduate course AGRITECH – Sustainable Digital Agriculture. Since 2009, I have also been an expert for the European Commission in agricultural research policies. In 2020 I have taken on a new role as the editor-in-chief of the journal ‘Agricultural and Food Economics’ and in 2024 I have been elected President of SIDEA (Society of Italian Agricultural Economists). In 2024 I have also been nominated Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre of Science for Peace of University of Pisa.

Key research interests

• Rural development strategies
• Marketing of local food and sustainability of food systems
• Innovation in agriculture and rural areas
• Role of small farms in rural development and in food security

Core competences

• Agricultural and rural economics
• Rural sociology
• Agricultural and food policy
• Rural and regional development

Current EU-funded projects

CODECS (maximising the CO-benefits of agricultural Digitalisation through conducive digital ECoSystems)

AGRITECH EU (Digital agriculture for sustainable development)

See the list of all projects the group is involved in here

Some recent publications

Brunori, G., Carzedda, M., Iliopoulos, C., D’Haese, M., Lanfranchi, M., Lerro, M., Martino, G., Pettenella, D., van Passel, S., Troiano, S. (2024) Has transformation of food systems reached an impasse? Considerations on the role of agri-food research.Agricultural and Food Economics, 12 (1), art. no. 26. DOI: 10.1186/s40100-024-00308-8

Ciliberti, S., Frascarelli, A., Polenzani, B., Brunori, G., Martino, G. (2024) Digitalisation strategies in the agri-food system: The case of PDO Parmigiano Reggiano Agricultural Systems, 218, art. no. 103996. DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2024.103996

Palmioli, L., Dentoni, D., Brunori, G. (2024) Disembedding and re-embedding practices of social innovation at the nexus of migration and labour exploitation in agriculture (2024) Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8, art. no. 1324465.  DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2024.1324465

Metta, M., Dessein, J., Brunori, G. (2024) Between on-site and the clouds: Socio-cyber-physical assemblages in on-farm diversification Journal of Rural Studies, 105, art. no. 103193. DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.103193

Knickel, M., Caniglia, G., Knickel, K., Šūmane, S., Maye, D., Arcuri, S., Keech, D., Tisenkopfs, T., Brunori, G. (2023) Lost in a haze or playing to partners’ strengths? Learning to collaborate in three transdisciplinary European Living Labs (2023) Futures, 152, art. no. 103219. DOI: 10.1016/j.futures.2023.103219

Cammarano, D., Olesen, J.E., Helming, K., Foyer, C.H., Schönhart, M., Brunori, G., Bandru, K.K., Bindi, M., Padovan, G., Thorsen, B.J., Freund, F., Abalos, D. (2023) Models can enhance science–policy–society alignments for climate change mitigation Nature Food, 4 (8), pp. 632-635. DOI: 10.1038/s43016-023-00807-9

Singh, B.K., Fraser, E.D.G., Arnold, T., Biermayr-Jenzano, P., Broerse, J.E.W., Brunori, G., Caron, P., De Schutter, O., Fabbri, K., Fan, S., Fanzo, J., Gajdzinska, M., Gurinovic, M., Hugas, M., McGlade, J., Nellemann, C., Njuki, J., Tuomisto, H.L., Tutundjian, S., Wesseler, J., Sonnino, R., Webb, P. (2023) Ensuring societal considerations are met when translating science into policy for sustainable food system transformation. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 137, pp. 104-108.  DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2023.04.021

Bacco, M.; Brunori, G.; Rolandi, S.; Scotti, I.; Smart and sustainable food: What is ahead? Future Foods 39-48 2022 Academic Press

Duncan, J.; DeClerck, F.; Báldi, A.; Treyer, S.; Aschemann-Witzel, J.; Cuhls, K.; Ahrné, L.; Bisoffi, S.; Grando,S.; Guobys, L.; Brunori, G. Democratic directionality for transformative food systems research Nature Food 3 3 183-186 2022 Nature Publishing Group

Metta, M.; Ciliberti, S.; Obi, C.; Bartolini, F.; Klerkx, L.; Brunori, G.; An integrated socio-cyber-physical system framework to assess responsible digitalisation in agriculture: A first application with Living Labs in Europe Agricultural Systems 203 103533 2022 Elsevier

Singh, B. K; Fraser, E. DG; Arnold, T.; Biermayr-Jenzano, P.; Broerse, J. EW; Brunori, Gianluca; Caron, P.; De Schutter, O.; Fabbri, K.; Fan, S.; Food systems transformation requires science–policy–society interfaces that integrate existing global networks and new knowledge hubs Nature Food 1-3 2022 Nature Publishing Group UK London

Brunori, G., Branca, G., Cembalo, L., D’Haese, M., Dries, L. (2020) Agricultural and Food Economics: the challenge of sustainability (2020) Agricultural and Food Economics, 8 (1), art. no. 12, https://DOI: 10.1186/s40100-020-00156-2

Galli, F., Prosperi, P., Favilli, E., D’Amico, S., Bartolini, F., Brunori, G.
How can policy processes remove barriers to sustainable food systems in Europe? Contributing to a policy framework for agri-food transitions (2020) Food Policy, art. no. 101871, https://DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.101871

Galli, F., Cavicchi, A., & Brunori, G. (2019). Food waste reduction and food poverty alleviation: a system dynamics conceptual model. Agriculture and Human Values, 36(2), 289–300. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-019-09919-0

Lamine, C., Garçon, L., & Brunori, G. (2019). Territorial agrifood systems: A Franco-Italian contribution to the debates over alternative food networks in rural areas. Journal of Rural Studies, 68, 159–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2018.11.007

Maye, D., Kirwan, J., & Brunori, G. (2019). Ethics and responsibilisation in agri-food governance: the single-use plastics debate and strategies to introduce reusable coffee cups in UK retail chains. Agriculture and Human Values, 36(2), 301–312. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-019-09922-5

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