From 21st to 29th September, during the G7 Agricultural Summit, the island of Ortigia (Syracuse) will “change skin” and transform into an open-air exhibition of agricultural machinery. This exhibition will showcase not only the achievements of Italian mechanisation and innovation but also the history and culture of our regions, characterised by typical local productions. This was announced by the Director General of FederUnacoma, Simona Rapastella, who revealed some details of the significant collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture during the Federation’s assembly held this afternoon at Palazzo Albergati in Zola Predosa (Bologna).
“The Italian Association of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers will have a prestigious role, organising exhibition and conference activities as part of the G7 Agricultural Summit. “For this purpose,” said Rapastella, “we have planned to utilise four different exhibition areas, located at various points on the island, each set up with evocative settings that recreate some of our exceptional productions.”
A first area will be situated within the premises of the Harbour Master’s Office, where a wheat field, complete with open-field cultivation machinery, will be evocatively recreated. A second space, also in the Harbour Master’s Office area, will be dedicated to vegetable cultivation, featuring a row of soil that simulates a complete work site. The third setup, an olive grove featuring native Sicilian varieties, will showcase cutting-edge technologies for harvesting and maintenance. Meanwhile, the fourth area, located on Via Minerva, will host an exhibition dedicated to orchard and vineyard technologies. Other potential exhibitions, in collaboration with the island’s other partners, may further involve the Federation.
In addition to the exhibition of agricultural machinery, FederUnacoma will organise seminars and conferences, as well as events dedicated to the African countries participating in the G7 activities. For the 25th, 26th, and 27th of September, meetings have already been scheduled on the following topics: “Robots, Drones, and Artificial Intelligence: The Third ‘Green Revolution'”, “Digital Transition in Agriculture: A Social and Political Issue”, “Boundless Territories, Small Farms, and Urban Gardens: Technologies for ‘Macro’ and ‘Micro’ Agricultures”, “Ergonomic Machines, Electronic Devices, and Training Pathways: New ‘Assets’ for Female Entrepreneurship in Agriculture”, “Development Strategies for African Agricultural Enterprises”. “Through the exhibitions and conferences, we aim to transform an event that is predominantly political and diplomatic, like the G7, into an opportunity for cultural promotion and education,” explained Simona Rapastella, “and to convey the ethical values that mechanisation represents.” “For this reason,” she added, “the array of activities promoted by the Federation during the summit will carry a particularly evocative slogan: ‘Machines for Peace’.”
The collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, it was emphasised during the Assembly, has developed from the wealth of expertise that the Federation has gained in organising exhibition events, most notably EIMA International. From 6th to 10th November, the world agricultural machinery exhibition will hold its 46th edition in Bologna, amidst great anticipation. “The continuing influx of participation requests, the rapid sell-out of exhibition spaces, the wide range of products, and the presence of the major brands in agri-mechanics,” explained Rapastella, “all suggest another success, following the record-breaking 330,000 attendees and official delegations from 80 countries in 2022.” The upcoming EIMA thus presents itself with the winning formula that has always characterised it.
The extensive range (with approximately 60,000 models on display) and the division into 14 macro-sectors (from tractors to soil tillage machines, from harvesters to treatment equipment and systems for mechanised farm management) and 5 specialised halls (Components, Energy, Green, Idrotech, Digital) have always been distinctive features of an event that has innovation as its cornerstone. Technological innovation remains central with the prestigious Technical Innovation competition-exhibition, demonstrations for bioenergy supply chains, the show of the finalists for Tractor of the Year, the Garden E-Motion tests dedicated to gardening machinery, and the demonstrations of agricultural drones and robots scheduled in the REAL (Robotics and Electronics for Agriculture Live) area, one of the most anticipated new features of EIMA 2024.
The schedule of thematic events also promises to be particularly rich, with more than 150 planned, including conferences, workshops, and seminars. These events will enliven the exhibition, aiming to describe the trends in modern agriculture and analyse the many factors that can influence the sector’s market. There will also be “focus” sessions on political dossiers of particular interest to the agricultural sector, ranging from environmental issues to workplace safety.
