Bologna – Italy

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Population Group Targeted

Adults affected by type 2 diabetes and who belong to one of these ethnic groups – Italian, East European, North African, the Indian subcontinent.

Diabetic adults
from different ethnic groups
(adults with NCDs)

Low SES
low icome
rural
immigrants

PRESENTATION OF THE AREA AND ITS RELEVANCE

About Pilastro in Bologna…

  • High prevalence of immigrants from ethnic populations 
  • Many ethnic groups have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, not only due to a genetic predisposition or socio-economic issues, but also due to cultural habits (diet, exercise). 

Goals of the Living Lab: 

  • Overcoming cultural and economic barriers to healthy diets.  
  • Combatting food poverty and malnutrition.  

    MEMBERS

    LAURA MORISI

    Contract professor at the University of Bologna since 2024. She teaches master's degrees, professional training courses and courses for healthcare professionals. She now works at AUSL Bologna, where she is care coordinator of the Nutrition and Dietetics Operational Unit of the Ospedale Maggiore in Bologna.

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    HELMUT FAILONI

    Helmut Failoni, born in Merano, graduated in Musicology from the University of Bologna. He writes for la Repubblica, il Manifesto, Diario and is a presenter on Rai Radio Tre. He teaches Food Information and Food and Wine Criticism at the University of Bologna and holds seminars at the School of Journalism at the same University.

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    COLUSSI

    Colussi is a long-standing Italian food company that blends traditional culinary practices with a strong commitment to sustainability and health. The company is dedicated to reducing its environmental impact through initiatives like minimizing waste and using recyclable packaging. Colussi also prioritizes healthy eating, using quality ingredients and offering products that align with a balanced diet. In essence, Colussi combines its rich Italian heritage with a modern focus on environmental and consumer well-being.

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    Maria Rita Stara -Vice national President of Italian Diabetic Patient Association (FEDER)

    Feder is an organization that positions itself within a context of rising diabetes prevalence and increasing healthcare cost pressures in Italy. It recognizes the crucial role of patient associations, while observing that, although local associations excel in community-level support, regional-level advocacy has become essential due to healthcare decentralization. Feder promotes the creation of regional federations to unify patient voices and ensure effective representation in policy-making, thereby improving diabetes care and support across Italy.

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    Marina Fridel – Responsible Prevention for Health Region Emilia-Romagna

    The Prevention and Public Health organisation is dedicated to the protection of collective health, promoting the prevention of diseases and the spread of healthy lifestyles. Through surveillance, control and education activities, the organisation strives to improve community well-being. It collaborates with institutions and organisations to develop and implement effective prevention strategies, addressing emerging health challenges.

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    DIABO (Agata Magaletta)

    DIABO, established in 2016, empowers individuals with diabetes to live informed and proactive lives. The association promotes awareness, prevention, and treatment of diabetes through educational programs and community outreach. It advocates for improved healthcare access and supports patients and families by protecting their rights and interests. DIABO facilitates connections with medical specialists and disseminates information on new treatments and technologies.

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    ASSOCIAZIONE PERCORSI (Floriana Niccoli)

    Percorsi, a Bologna-based non-profit association, was founded in 2007. The association promotes healthy lifestyles and addresses endocrine-metabolic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Its mission focuses on assessing and mitigating cardiovascular and metabolic risks, enhancing psycho-physical well-being.

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    THE MAN AND THE SEA

    The Man and the Sea, born in 2019, offers seasonal, sustainable seafood in Bologna's center. Their chef personally selects fresh, responsibly sourced ingredients, blending tradition with modern wellness. It feature a curated first quality wine list alongside healthy, flavorful Mediterranean dishes, all served with attentive care.

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    DIPARTIMENTO NEUROFISIOLOGIA BOLOGNA (Prof. MILENA RAFFI)

    The Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences conducts research and teaching in human neurological, behavioral, musculoskeletal, and stomatognathic systems. It organizes professors and researchers into functional units to foster interdisciplinary projects. The department emphasizes scientific exchange and resource optimization to enhance research and education. Its goal is to advance understanding of human health through rigorous scientific inquiry.

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    GRANAROLO

    Born in 1957, is the only Italian chain based on an integrated production system, where the entire process is controlled and managed in close collaboration with the best local producers. they follow all stages of the process: from the production of the raw material to the distribution of the finished product to the points of sale, to guarantee the highest quality and safety and the constant pursuit of all-round sustainability, which translates into animal welfare, less drugs, less water, less emissions, less plastic, more transparency on origin, and more labour protection.

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    CAMST

    Camst group is a Benefit Corporation. Founded in 1945 in Bologna, the company is now among the leading players in Italy in the collective catering market (schools, companies, hospitals, nursing homes). It also operates in commercial catering and event banqueting and has expanded its activities into facility management over the years. With its over 13,000 employees, the group has a presence throughout Italy and Europe.

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    Fundesplai  

    Education and social action NGO dedicated to the promotion of coexistence and sustainability. They provide 50,000 school meals daily and promote healthy and sustainable food through training, resources, educational programs, EU projects, and the exhibition EAT, ACT, IMPACT.

    Adeac

    NGO, created in 1984, responsible for the international programs Blue Flag, Green Key and Eco-schools in Spain. They promote supportive civic-environmental attitudes and behaviours, support citizens in the search for solutions to environmental problems and promote the implementation of concrete actions at the local level.

    Soulblim

    Soulblim is a company of organic and local producers that offers fresh products, including own productions and premium food selections from producers and processors who share the same philosophy. They are specialized in the distribution of food for professionals, restaurants, and shops.

    Alicante university

    Assistant Professor at the University of Alicante who collaborates with the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). Her main lines of research are related to Public Health, Community Nutrition and Food Education, and more specifically on Food Environments.

    ASPCAT

    Contribute to protecting and promoting health, preventing disease and reducing health inequalities in the population, monitoring and anticipating risks, in collaboration with all agents of the public health network, the health system and the community.

    Triptolemos

    Private foundation that contributes to proper, sustainable, affordable and trustworthy food and to the dignification of the sector, in accordance with proven knowledge, science, and technology. Its members include 26 universities, companies, consumers, and food banks, among others.

    L’Era

    L’Era is an association that promotes and disseminates ecological agricultural production, agroecology, and all systems that help the agricultural sector advance towards greater global sustainability, encompassing environmental, social, and economic aspects.

    Consum

    Consum has 874 supermarkets, both its own and franchised. The Cooperative is the first food distribution company to obtain the « Reduzco » seal from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and has reduced its carbon footprint by 86% since 2015. It also has more than 4 million member-customers and 19,337 employees.

    Blanquerna university

    Graduate in Pharmacy, master’s degree in nutrition and food quality and PhD.
    Associate Professor at the Blanquerna Faculty of Health Sciences – Ramon Llull University,
    Coordinator of the Nutrition and Health Council of Ametller Origen, and
    Member of the Board of the Catalan Association of Food Sciences ACCA, of the Institute of Catalan Studies (IEC).

    Gemma Navarro

    Head of Dietetics and Nutrition at the ‘Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau’, a highly complex centre that, with six centuries of existence, is the oldest hospital institution in Spain. Its activities are mainly centred in Barcelona and are spread throughout Catalonia, as well as having a notable impact on the rest of Spain and an important international projection.

    Nadia San Onofre

    Postdoctoral researcher specialised in food and public health. Currently member of BALMIS research group of the University of Alicante, with participation in the project « Implementation of a Human Milk Bank in the Hospital Belén de Trujillo » of the University of Valencia.

    Fruits del Secà 

    Fruits del Secà was born in 2013 with the aim of making agriculture more respectful of the environment and of marketing products obtained through short circuits. They cultivate, process and sell dry fruits, pulses, cereals and flax, which we then process to be able to sell. They also have a stone mill which allows them to transform the cereal into flour and thus be able to reach small forges that work with local products.

    GRoW

    The GRoW (FCSBlanquerna – Universitat Ramon Llull) develops research, training and knowledge transfer actions around health promotion and disease prevention and treatment from an interdisciplinary and participatory perspective, in order to contribute to improving the health and well-being of the population.

    IrsiCaixa

    The Living Lab for Health’s mission is to facilitate multi-stakeholder innovation networks to solve complex and persistent health challenges and increase collective impact through methodologies of system innovation. It addresses prevention and health promotion challenges (e.g. healthy and sustainable diets, affective and sexual health, mental health and COVID-19 prevention), as well as prevention, diagnostic, and therapeutic challenges around diseases that have co-morbidities or require consideration of a wide range of factors (e.g. Long COVID or the development of immunotherapies). The Lab has the support of the « la Caixa » Foundation and projects funded by the European Commission.

    CONTACT US

    Uberto Pagotto

    Clinician, Full Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism​

    Flaminia Fanelli

    Biotechnologist, ​Assistant Professor in Endocrinology​

    Valentina Lo Preiato

    Clinician​ Expert in obesity and diabetes

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