From misinformation to trust: how to communicate science and agri-food

24th March 2026 – Strategies and challenges of scientific communication in the agri-food sector

On Tuesday 24th March at 4.30 pm, Fondazione Invernizzi hosted a meeting dedicated to the role played by scientific communication in the agri-food sector, namely focusing on challenges posed by misinformation and fake news. Organized in collaboration with Prof. Paolo Ajmone Marsan, a lecturer at Milan Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, the event offered an opportunity for dialogue of academia, research and public outreach, involving experts in communication, science and consumer psychology.

PROGRAMME

Following the opening remarks, a special segment was dedicated to the award-giving ceremony of five PhD students from Agrisystem PhD Programme at Milan Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, recipients of the Portus Project Scholarships, funded by Fondazione Invernizzi.

The core of the meeting was structured into three thematic sessions, each dedicated to a key area of communication in the agri-food sector:

Presentation 1: Communication in the agri-food sector

Effective and failed communication on milk, meat, animal welfare and sustainability – Speaker Mr. Alessandro Fantini, Director of Ruminantia

Presentation of IRCAF projects and real examples of communication in the dairy sector – Speaker Prof. Erminio Trevisi, Director of IRCAF

Presentation 2: Science communication in the age of fake news

How to tell a scientific story – Speaker Mr. Marco Cattaneo, Director of Le Scienze and National Geographic

Presentation 3: Communication and consumer perception

Team organisation, communication techniques and consumer perception – Speaker Mr. Michele Paleologo, Psychologist and Lecturer in Applied Psychology, UNICATT

Fake news in science communication – outcomes of brainstorming in research and lessons learnt – Speaker Mrs. Carlotta Lomeo, PhD student in Agrisystem programme, UNICATT

This event was designed to explore how to effectively communicate agri-food science, strengthen the relationship of trust with the public and counter the spread of misleading information.