5Santa Lucia di Piave Fair: CREA at Veneto Agricoltura Stand and School Workshops
13–15 December 2025 – Santa Lucia di Piave, Italy
From 13 to 15 December, CREA actively participated in the Veneto Agricoltura stand at the Santa Lucia di Piave International Agriculture Fair, building on its presence there since 2024. The stand,Located in the historic Padiglione ex-filanda, the stand showcased the latest developments in sericulture, including the RDS (Rural Development Support) “Morus up” project and the early design of the Mulberry Register.
Opening Conference – 13 December
The fair opened with a CREA-organized conference attended by Class 3AT of IIS “A. Della Lucia” (Feltre, BL) and representatives of the Silkworm Farming Network. Speakers included Dr. Pietro Salvadori (Veneto Region), Dr. Lorenzo Furlan (Veneto Agricoltura), and Dr. Silvia Cappellozza (CREA).
The conference addressed the following points:
- Mulberry Register: programmatic and legislative aspects. The students’ mulberry mapping project continues the Aracne educational pathway “Agricultural Landscape” and uses the MorusApp from the University of Maribor, adopted by Veneto Region as a model for the development of its official register;
- Operational Groups “Morus up” and “Piante”: project updates and organic agriculture applications;
- Innovation in sericulture: IT platform with blockchain, remote silkworm monitoring, and product traceability;
- Practical experience: testimony from the Vice President of the Silkworm Farming Network.
Stand and Public Engagement – 14 & 15 December
Farmers from the Rete Bachicoltura Setica (Silkworm Farming Network) showcased live silkworms, cocoons, photographs, brochures, and roll-ups. From 14 December, the Ateneo Terzo Valore Association presented traditional silkworm rearing and cocoon processing. The stand attracted both experienced and new farmers interested in sericulture opportunities.
Educational Workshops – 16 December
The final day featured CREA educational workshops for primary and lower secondary school students, with activities including:
- direct observation of silkworms;
- cocoon decoration;
- creation of thaumatropes illustrating cocoons and moths.
8 classes from Istituto Comprensivo Statale Paese “C. Casteller” (TV) participated, with about 137 students in total.
The fair provided an important opportunity for scientific, educational, and cultural outreach, confirming the role of CREA and the Aracne project in promoting sericulture and strengthening the silk production chain in Veneto.
