Climate change is modifying the way we farm and produce food. The rise in global temperatures has led to an increase in the number of plant species that can be cultivated in areas with a Mediterranean climate, with the introduction of tropical species, such as Mango, Papaya and Avocado. The fruits of these species are among the most demanded by European consumers, but European production is not enough to meet the request. The supply chain related to the shipping of these products from producing countries in other continents is responsible for an increasing impact on the environment, in terms of resources consumption, carbon emissions and social and political issues in the producing areas. The PhD idea is based on the possibility of improving production chains of tropical fruit in the Mediterranean ensuring high environmental sustainability by 1) applying innovative cultivation management models, based on the elaboration and application of phenoclimatic models and on sensory-based agroclimatic surveys in the eld (precision farming); 2) to reduce food waste identifying the best time to harvest the produce (tree ripe) using complex maturity indexes; 3) developing intelligent logistics and eco-friendly packaging systems and technologies capable of guaranteeing a 'zero km' product with low environmental impact and high added value also in terms of human nutrition and diet.

The ideal candidate has a good knowledge of the subject of horticulture and the best agronomic practices necessary to improve fruit yield while preserving the environment and agro-biodiversity. S/he is interested in the impact of agriculture on the territories and the communities that make a living out of it. Fundamental skills that will be needed in the research activity are knowledge of research protocols and experimental designs,experience in the collection of vegetative activity and fruit quality data. International experience and knowledge of foreign languages are a plus.

The research team consists of a principal investigator, who will act as a tutor to the PhD student, two PhD who will supervise the research and eld activities, and a PhD student who has experience in tropical crops. The working area consists of 10 farms where experimental elds and a network of weather stations are located to measure environmental variables. Laboratory activities can be carried out in the Department's pomology, ecophysiology, food chemistry and post-harvest units. The programme can be enriched by the numerouscollaborations with research organisations and Italian and foreign universities with which the research team has active partnerships and student exchanges.