Research in the food sector is a field of great relevance and interest that is rapidly growing and expanding at the University of Ferrara. The university is committed to contributing to the progress of knowledge in the nutrition and agrifood production sectors through innovative studies and collaborations with the food industry.

As part of the WFRIF - World Food Research and Innovation Forum project, the University of Ferrara collaborated in the initiatives promoted by the Region Emilia Romagna, from the partnership in projects aimed at promoting the sustainability of agronomic practices and enhancing the quality of the agricultural output (including aquaculture) to the development of the Agrifood Clust-ER, up to the promotion of several international projects in the field of water management. These activities saw the involvement of the Technopole laboratories of the University of Ferrara, most notably the Terra&AcquaTECH Laboratory.

Unife also plays an active role in the Europass activities (a liaison structure standing between the Region and the EFSA) and contributes to the regional coordination of the international inter-university Master's Degree in "Food Safety and Food Risk Management". The university has also organised a few summer schools focusing on intelligent agriculture methodologies and good agronomic practices.

Several Unife research groups operate in the agrifood sector with the support of regional funding projects (POR-ERDF, RDP calls), national competitive calls, competitive projects financed under European programmes and research agreements negotiated with public and private entities. Within this context, the framework agreement signed between Unife and the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research – ISPRA deserves special mention.

Unife's priority intervention topics include fishing, aquaculture and shellfish farming, environmental monitoring, agrifood supply chain traceability and territoriality. More specifically, the research focused on viticulture, cereal, fruit and vegetable supply chains, encouraging the adoption of geochemical and isotopic markers that ensure territoriality and traceability while monitoring the quality and safety of food.

Furthermore, several Unife research groups engaged in the promotion of clever agriculture methodologies and the development of innovative monitoring systems (including the implementation of remote monitoring techniques applied to aquaculture), which allow for the adoption of intelligent water management solutions in compliance with the WFD – Water Directive, the development of effective agronomic methodologies aimed at reducing the release of nitrates into the environment, and the enhancement of soil biodiversity, safeguarding its health and that of the carbon stored in the ground.

Thanks to inter- and multi-disciplinary research projects involving different research groups (such as Analytical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Food Chemistry, and Industrial Chemistry), multiple activities are also underway in the field of circular bioeconomy and biorefineries, with particular attention both to the recovery of molecules with high added value from agrifood waste and by-products and to the use of biotechnology and biocatalysis techniques for eco-friendly molecule production.