Advanced Research on Bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso & Poiteau)

Dear Colleagues,

Changes in society are also reflected in the strategies of companies whose markets are increasingly large, competitive and global, and the skills and abilities in demand ever greater. In this context, companies in the agro-industrial and agri-food chains face increasingly broad and complex challenges. The proposed Special Issue is an opportunity to shed light on the bergamot supply chain (Citrus bergamia Risso & Poiteau); bergamot is a citrus fruit whose production of essential oil has nourished and nourishes the finest international perfumery. In recent decades, the historical use of the product for the production of essence has been accompanied by other applications, such as its use in food production, crafts, pharmacology and nutraceuticals. These solutions are often very interesting because they offer novelty and opportunities for experimentation, and for positive feedback from consumers. Furthermore, what remains of the fruit after it has been used for the extraction of the essence, both fresh and dried, can be used for other uses; this is the case of livestock feed, with positive repercussions for both the quality of the meat obtained and the cost of breeding. This by-product constitutes a tangible example of a circular economy, where waste becomes a useful resource in perfect harmony with the concepts of multifunctionality, sustainability and circularity—requisites that are increasingly essential today in the economies and activities of territories worldwide. Furthermore, the recent events related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the latest ones that culminated with international geopolitical tensions have highlighted the need to strengthen existing local supply chains and pursue innovations for efficient uses with low environmental impact. Bergamot is present in some areas of Africa, such as the Ivory Coast, Mali, Cameroon and Guinea; in South America, such as Argentina and Brazil; and in Europe, where it is mainly present in the south of the Italian peninsula. In the latter area it assumes particular importance and over the decades techniques for the production and processing of the fruit have been improved and developed. Bergamot is used for the extraction of essential oil (from flavedo), the extraction of juice (from the pulp), the processing of the pulp, the production of antioxidants and pectin, and the feeding of animals. Other aerial parts of the plant, such as flowers and leaves, can also be used for essential oil extraction. Digestate and biogas can be obtained from the anaerobic digestion of production waste. Furthermore, even landscapes are shaped by the presence of bergamot cultivation. These plots, created and transformed by agricultural activities, have environmental and landscape value in addition to their economic and social values, and give environments identity and strong connotations deserving of attention, defense and enhancement. This Special Issue entitled "Advanced Research on Bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso & Poiteau)", aims to stimulate the debate on a range of scientific issues various titles, linked by the common thread of bergamot and the sustainability of its supply chain. The themes therefore include the agronomic, genetic, physicochemical, sensorial, productive, botanical, entomological, microbiological, pathogenic, technological (Agriculture 4.0), political, economic and market aspects from a supply chain perspective, and in terms of the environmental, productive, social and economic sustainability of the product. We invite the contribution of original and high-quality research and review papers on experimental and theoretical works. We will accept documents which concern and are inspired by the aforementioned themes, and which fall within the broad theme of the study of the bergamot supply chain, even if not expressly indicated.

Dr. Donatella Di Gregorio
Prof. Dr. Agata Nicolosi
Dr. Valentina Rosa Laganà
Dr. Angelo Maria Giuffrè
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Citrus bergamia Risso & Poiteau
• supply chain sustainability
• competitiveness
• efficiency
• local and international markets
• business strategies
• consumption preferences
• innovation
• multifunctionality
• circular economy
• healthy food
• nutraceuticals
• agri-food industry
• cultivation
• defense
• utilization
• marketing
• citrus landscape
• recovery value
• reuse
• no waste
• feeding of animals
• machinery
• bergamot by-products
• functional foods
• physical-chemical-microbiological analysis