Supervisors: Prof. Marcello Mele and Dr. Alberto Mantino
Research field: Animal Science
Research interests: meat quality, digital model, environmental sustainability
DAFE – University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto n°80, 56124 – Pisa – (IT)
fabrizio.cella@phd.unipi.it
Passion for science and a curiosity for quality food led Fabrizio to enroll in the Bachelor’s degree program in Agricultural Sciences at the University of Turin, where he explored the connections between soil and raw materials. He continued his academic journey by enrolling in the Master’s degree program in Animal Sciences, earning his degree with a thesis on improving the quality of beef and the metagenomic analysis of rumen microbiota. Meanwhile, for several years, he engaged in scientific outreach activities, participating in events like the Mantova Food and Science Festival, with the aim of disseminating scientific knowledge within society and combating the spread of fake news.
In November 2023, he began his Ph.D. research on “Digitalization of agroforestry systems for sustainable animal production.” His research project focuses on how poplar leaves in lamb feeding can impact meat quality. Moreover, he is envolved in a European project to develop a model for beef meat production to enhance the economic and environmental sustainability of farms. The interaction between sustainability and food quality becomes a fundamental theme expressed within his research project through comparing the quality of beef meat coming from indoor, on pasture, and in silvopastoral rearing systems. Sustainable meat consumption begins with consumer choices, and awareness of what we purchase can only exist if the differences in value are highlighted and communicated.
Brillat-Savarin wrote, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are”: if this is true, knowing what we eats becomes essential for pursuing a healthy, balanced, and above all, conscious diet.
