WiserEarth API Developers

Stefano Carrano  operates since many years in the field of planning, carrying out and managing proposals concerned in  European funding for Agriculture, Environment and Tourism sectors (see the curriculum).  Presently he collaborates as consultant for ARSIAL, the Latium Region's Agency for Agriculture Development.

Ongoing activities 

Life+ SustGreenhouse project.

The activity on the project "SUSTGREENHOUSE" (LIFE07 ENV/IT/000516 )  concerns a demonstrative action in the frame of the Environment Policy and Governance entitled "The sustainable Greenhouse: demonstrative action for zero emission intensive greenhouse agriculture". 

The project has a total budget of 920,565.00 € and is carried out by the following partners:

- ARSIAL (coordinating beneficiary),

- University "Alma Mater Studiorum" of Bologna, Dept. of Agro-environmental Sciences and Technologies.

Capitalisation of closed activities:

1) Sustainable fertilisation (composting)

The European Life Environment “FertiLIFE” 2002-05 project, designed and accompli-

shed by S. Carrano in his own capacity of technical responsible for one of the partners,

was developed in order to disseminate the concept of reducing the chemical input on

agrarian soil and to promote the idea of recycling agricultural waste. The assumption

to be validated assumed that in an high intensive vegetable farming area like that of

Maccarese (near Rome Airport) it was possible to fertilise the crops thanks to the

composting (aerobic fermentation) of the vegetable by-products obtained locally.

The demonstration was led during three years of work, producing high quality

compost in the AMA’s (Roma Municipal Waste Company) waste plant of Maccarese,

testing it on different crops of local farmers, selling on the local market the obtained

vegetable crops with a specific trade mark, assessing the environmental changes

after three years of treatment, assessing the consumer’s acceptance of the sustainable

fertilised produce, designing a new and more rational local logistic system.

The project involved a strength disseminating activities performed thanks to local

guided visits both to the composting plant and the tested crops, and to the involvement

of local schools students creating specific brochures on composting and recycling for

primary schools usage.

Important scientific reports are issued on the WEB, concerning:

a)      crops production results, certified by Tuscia University Vegetal Production Dept., 

b)      environmental analysis results,

c)       market sales results    

2) Territorial planning in the town-country relationship

The European Intereg III B project “GreenLink”, 2007-08, was accomplished by

S. Carrano as technical consultant for one of the partners. The general project

aimed at studying and sharing concepts and principles and elaborating demonstra-

tive actions in order to optimize the strategies and the wise and respectful planning

of suburban green areas in Mediterranean countries. The specific purpose was the

elaboration of excellent local pilot examples around four axis: 1) technological

infrastructures and productive activities; 2) renewable energies and biodiversity;

3) educational, cultural and artistic activities; 4) sports, leisure and tourism.

In this frame the author accomplished 4 main studies of intervention for the

South Pontine Plain Area (the coastal plain south of Rome) that were issued on

the Web. They concern:

a)      the sustainable management of tree shelter belts finalised to energy
production;

b)      the employ of climate monitoring techniques with the purpose of offering
productive facilities ad services for business, development and
environment protection in the frame of the global climate change;

c)       the cultural valorisation of local environmental and historical values
(land reform);

d)      the sustainable enhancement of integrated tourist pathways and the
productive valorisation of territorial underestimated values (landscape
and water resources).

Moreover a general overview on route tourism, concerning best practices,

suggestions for the design and technical aids was realised in order to help

local authorities in this matter.       

3) Urban waste characterisation & recycling

The European LIFE project “REMECOM”, 1995-97, was accomplished by

S. Carrano as technical responsible for one of the partners. The general project

aimed at creating a network of 18 local municipalities in six Member States to

exchange experiences concerning sampling and analysis of household waste.

The cities that participated in the activities of this network over three years

aimed to:

-          become more familiar with the composition of their household waste,
improve recycling and assess the effectiveness of their sorting schemes;

-          exchange and compare the results while harmonising their data.

Among the project results was the realisation of a simple tool designed for

municipal authorities and technicians on how to assess household waste streams.

This tool was later issued by ADEME.  

The project results were later resumed and valorised by the European project  

“MEDIACOM”, designed as a means of increasing awareness and gathering a

collection of examples of best practices in the waste management field.

4) Small fruit farming

The activities carried out by S. Carrano in the frame of the small fruit farming

for seven years (1999-2005) in the broader frame of the European Regional

Development Fund for the Objective 5b (rural areas) and later of ARSIAL funding,

had the purpose of promoting the diffusion of raspberry,   gooseberry, 
blueberry and bramble in marginal areas of the Latium mountain and marginal

areas. In this frame extension activities were carried out in different places of the

region, consisting of demonstrative fields, technical assistance and trainers training.

The results were collected in two brochures (in Italian) issued on the web

concerning small fruit farming techniques and disease control.

5) Nutritional facts on fruit & vegetable

 Although not funded by European funds, this project was inserted here for the

importance of its results. These were achieved thanks to the collaboration of

the National Institute of Nutrition (INRAN) and issued for the first time (1994) in
Italian the nutritional valuesof the main fruit & vegetable products in order to
promote their consumption.

6) A CD on the Valle dei Latini District

A self-opening CD collecting all the documents elaborated for the Valle dei Latini  District of Latium has been realised for the Latium Region Agriculture Authority.

The documents refer mainly to: 1) the economic and social survey on the agriculture and agro-food  state in this District of Latium, whose 20 municipalities were severely affected by the problems originated by the pollution of the Sacco River; 2) the Feasibility Study for the conversion to No Food agriculture (Short Forestry Rotation

and bio-energy) of the District, that the Agriculture Authority committed to a team of  experts among whom ARSIAL, ENEA, CRPA and Agriconsulting.

The CD has been realised in 1000 copies distributed by the Agriculture Authority and ARSIAL. Copies could be obtained on demand by whom interested.