'Agrofood amusement park' opened in Italy

See, discover, experience, learn, taste, buy and consume: everything is possible at the new agrofood park FICO Eataly World in Bologna, which was opened to the public by Oscar Farinetti, founder of the successful chain of concept stores Eataly.

No less than 100,000 m² dedicated to biodiversity, and the Italian art and skills of production, processing and preparation of Made in Italy food products. On the basis of 2,000 'cultivars' on 2 hectares of land and stables with 200 animals of different breeds, the story is told of varieties, the splendor and the pride of national agriculture and livestock farming. Central to the park are the origin of our food, an increasingly important aspect for consumers, sustainability, food education, biodiversity and healthy food.

There are 150 companies present in the park that represent the best of the Made in Italy food products and show their traditional or non-traditional production processes to visitors in and around 40 factories that cover the entire chain from production to consumer: from field to fork.

On the site there are 40 eateries, from kiosks with street food to multi-star restaurants. More than 9,000 m² with shops, workshops and markets with the best food products and design. Spaces devoted to sports activities for children and to services with 6 didactic halls, 6 large educational attractions where children can experiment to discover the secrets of fire, the earth and the sea, of animals, of drinks and of the future. There are also modular conference rooms with a capacity for 50 to 1,000 people, spaces for theater, cinemas, courses and events.

The park offers a rich cultural agenda with 30 events and 50 courses per day, more than 200 conferences a year, from company meetings to trade fairs, an internal study program taking place every 12 months for more than 100,000 students, 5,000 didactic events for schools and 500 internships per year for both young people and adults who would like to immerse themselves in a particular subject matter or direction.

FICO Eataly World is powered with clean and sustainable energy, produced by 43,750 solar panels, producing 15 million Kwh, on the 100,000 m² roof, which is the largest in Europe. Owners of the park are Eataly and the retail chain Coop (Coop Alleanza 3.0 and Coop Reno). The number of visitors per year is estimated at 6 million, of which 2 million are foreign tourists. The sale of fruit and vegetables in the park itself is estimated to amount to more than 240,000 tons. FICO Eataly World is located on the premises of CAAB (Centro Agro Alimentare Bologna, the Agri-food Center of Bologna), one of the largest wholesale markets and distribution centers in Italy for fruit and vegetables with warehouses for frozen and fresh goods, logistics platforms, offices and support services.