Learn about the secret of longevity through local foods and food processing. This is the goal of the project promoted by the Alea Cooperative with the contribution of the Foundation of Sardinia entitled “From the land to the table: food processing in the land of longevity.” Protagonists of the initiative were 15 young people who from July 16 to 23, 2023 participated in workshops organized at the Convitto Agrario di Tortolì boarding school in Ogliastra.

From fruit to jams, from milk to fodder, from vegetables to pickles, from olives to extra virgin olive oil, from bees to honey, from meats to cold cuts, and from grapes to wine. Theoretical and practical lessons for the children who were able to learn the secrets of food processing through procedures that respect nutritional properties.

Through the project, it was intended to create an out-of-school training course, of high specialization, in a context, that of Sardinia, where the theme of longevity is strongly linked to the use of healthy and wholesome foods. Therefore, it was intense to propose to young people from Sardinia and Africa-who also participated in the Longevity Campus-a scholarship to participate in a training course with theoretical and practical lessons in classrooms and laboratories to acquire knowledge in the field of fresh food processing into food products.

Methodologies, techniques, and processes to ensure that a product maintains its organoleptic qualities as much as possible were studied during the training.

The project was divided into the following activities:

1) 25 hours of classroom lectures;

2) 25 hours of hands-on laboratory classes;

3) Visits to food processing companies.

The initiative was held in collaboration with the ITS Blu Zone Foundation, the proposing party implemented the project within the Longevity Campus as an independent module from the project activities planned by the partner. Partners in the initiative included the Blue Sardinia Association and the I.A.N.A.S. Institute in Tortolì.