Paola Migliorini

Phone: +39 0172 458573
Email: p.migliorini@unisg.it

University of Gastronomic Sciences | Pollenzo Campus
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, 9
fraz. Pollenzo – 12042 Bra (Cn) – Italy

BIOGRAPHY

Migliorini graduated in Agricultural Sciences and Technologies at the University of Florence (Italy) in 1998 (110 cum laude) and during her studies within the ERASMUS program she attended two semesters (1995-96) of the MSc course in Ecological Agriculture at Wageningen Agricultural University (NL). In 2000 she obtained a Master’s degree in “Food Security” from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2006 she obtained a PhD at the University of Florence, Faculty of Agriculture coordinated by Prof. Concetta Vazzana, concerning agricultural sustainability. In 2004/2005 she had a scholarship to carry out a 3-month PhD at the University of California at Berkeley in the Department of Environmental Science Policy and Management, under the supervision of prof. Miguel Altieri.

From 1998 to 2003 she was technical manager of the Tuscan Coordination of Organic Producers, a regional association founded in 1983, in Florence with activities of identification, formulation, management and evaluation of projects on organic agriculture at company, regional, national and international level.

From 1998 to 2000 she carried out a two-year research fellowship at the Overseas Agronomic Institute in the field of international cooperation and gender analysis.

From 2001 to 2008 she was a research fellow at DISAT, University of Florence in the Faculty of Agriculture where she played the role of technical coordinator of the Montepaldi Long Term Experiment and two national projects on the assessment of sustainability in organic farms (SIMBIOVEG, EQUIZOOBIO) and other projects on the management of fertility and biodiversity in organic agriculture (AGRIBIO, BIOMUGELLO, BIOSIENA) with particular reference to crop rotation and green manure.

She is President of Agroecology Europe and Vice President of IFOAM Agribiomediterraneo.

She is the author of 100 technical and scientific publications in international and national journals, monographs, book chapters and conference proceedings.

She is course leader of “Agroecosystems and sustainability” (11 ETC) and “AgroBiodiversity” (4 ETC) in the undergraduate degree; “Agroecology”, “Sustainable Agriculture” and “Organic Agriculture” in the Master programs.

INSTITUTIONAL POSITIONS

Convenor of the Master in Agroecology and Food Sovereignty

TEACHING ACTIVITY

Agrobiodiversity Management [Undergraduate Degree in Gastronomic Sciences and Cultures]
Agroecosistemi e Sostenibilità [Undergraduate Degree in Gastronomic Sciences and Cultures]
Pratiche di Viaggio ed Esperienze sul Campo [Undergraduate Degree in Gastronomic Sciences and Cultures]

MAIN INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREA in UNISG

Environment

SPECIFIC RESEARCH TOPICS

Agricultural models; farming and agroecosystem analysis; transition to agroecological approach; ecological, sustainable and organic agriculture.
Sustainability assessment with agroecological indicators: soil fertility, biodiversity, energy efficiencies.
On-farm and participatory research in organic practices, soil fertility and biodiversity enhancements: local varieties, evolutionary plant breeding, long-term crop rotations, cover crops, use of mycorrhizae, living mulching, integrated crop/animal systems.
Education in Agroecology and pedagogical methods; innovation in teaching; system thinking approach.
Gender issues and urban farming.