Data: 24/06/2024

Ph.D. position available at the University of Milan

Ph.D. position available at the Ph.D. program in Environmental Sciences (unimi) on the following subject
The price for rejecting biotechnological innovations in Italian and European agriculture: economic and environmental costs for selected traits.

Short description of the project:
The present legal framework in the EU is extremely puntitive towards varieties developed through modern agricultural biotechnology: in more than 20 years since its introduction not a single food crop has been approved for cultivation in the EU according to Dir. 2001/18. Aim of the project is to assess the magnitude of lost benefits to Italy and the EU due to the rejection of biotech innovation. The first phase will identify traits (already demonstrated as viable in some crops or available as commercial varieties) that show potential benefits for Italy and the EU. In the second part, a quantitative evaluation of the lost environmental and agricultural benefits shall be attempted for the most relevant traits identified compared to conventional varieties.
Example of traits of interest could be:
-resistance to viruses, pathogens and insects (rice, potato, apple)
-potential for symbiotic nitrogen fixation (maize)
-herbicide toleance (soybean)
-adaptation of flowering to different latitudes (rice)
For more information: Prospective candidates, please, contact: piero.morandini@unimi.it
(Comunicato dal Prof. Piero Morandini - Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali - Università degli Studi di Milano)