Parma, March 16, 2026 – Public, financial and tax policies for the promotion of sustainable food choices will be the focus of a seminar to be held on Thursday, March 26 at 2:30 p.m. in the Main Building of the University of Parma (Aula della Bandiera). The event is organized as part of the Food for Future project of the University’s Department of Law, Politics and International Studies.
Organized in collaboration with the Summer School in European Environmental Taxation and Policies of the University of Naples Federico II and with the University of Teramo, the event is supported by the Order of Chartered Accountants and Accounting Experts of Parma (ODCEC) and by the Bar Association of Parma.
The seminar’s theme is rich in nuances and has been little explored in Italy by scholars of tax law, despite the fact that the food sector is particularly significant—economically and otherwise—both in the Emilia region and more broadly within the Italian economy. The program identifies several key issues on which to focus attention with the aim of providing an overall picture of the current state of food legislation, particularly from the perspective of sustainable choices and their promotion. Possible gaps and proposals for improvement will be highlighted, laying the groundwork for further and more in-depth reflections.
For example, one may ask to what extent the State can take legislative—and non-legislative—initiatives to promote food choices that do not harm human health and that may support sustainable decisions within a circular economy framework. Public policies should also discourage food waste, and tax legislation should take appropriate action in this direction. Moreover, what is the current—and potential future—role of the European Union in this complex scenario?
The event will open with institutional greetings from Giovanni Francesco Basini, Director of the Department of Law, Politics and International Studies; Lucia Scaffardi, Scientific Coordinator of the Food for Future Project and Vice President of the Italian Association of Constitutional Law Scholars; Anna Maria Gherardi, President of the ODCEC of Parma; and Francesco Mattioli, President of the Bar Association of Parma.
Throughout the afternoon, distinguished Italian scholars and an esteemed Brazilian scholar, Arthur Ferreira Neto of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and Vice President of the Tribunal Administrativo de Recursos Fiscais of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, will deliver presentations.
Alberto Comelli, Professor of Tax Law at the University of Parma, will moderate and conclude the session.
The introductory lecture will be given by Roberta Alfano, Professor of Tax Law at the Department of Law of the University of Naples Federico II, and will focus on tax policies for the food sector. EU law perspectives will also be addressed by Chiara Cattabriga, Senior Legal Advisor in the Agriculture Division of the Legal Service of the European Commission, and Federica Bruno, Team Leader at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Attendance is possible in person (up to a maximum of 10 participants) or online, upon mandatory registration by sending an email by noon on March 25 to PhD candidate Alice Gualerzi (alice.gualerzi@unipr.it).
Teams link for online attendance
The seminar has been accredited by the Bar Association of Parma with the award of three continuing education credits, and by the Order of Chartered Accountants and Accounting Experts of Parma with the award of four continuing education credits.
