Presentation

History

The Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences traces its origins to the reorganisation of the University following the Gelmini Reform: from the previous five existing departments, two were initially formed, which were later merged into a single integrated Department (the current DISTAL) that encompasses all teaching and research activities in the agri-food area.

Locations

The Department has two main locations, one in Bologna and one in Cesena, but it also carries out both teaching and research activities in Ozzano, Cadriano, Imola and Tebano. The Department is the largest in the University of Bologna with around 500 employees, both temporary and permanent. It is organised into divisions that coordinate the main research activities, within which multidisciplinary groups operate across all typical sectors of the agricultural field.

Research

It boasts a strong research activity, with over fifteen million euros in annual income from research projects, and it participates in 96 projects funded by the European Union, coordinating 11 of them.

DISTAL (Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences) is a Department of Excellence for the 2023-2027 period, recognized by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, reaffirming the achievement previously obtained for 2018-2022.

The Department has significantly contributed to the high ranking of the University of Bologna in the QS World University Ranking 2025: the University of Bologna ranks 1st in Italy and 54th in the world in the "Agriculture & Forestry" discipline.

Educational

The Department offers a wide, modern, multidisciplinary, and international range of educational programs, including:

•  8 Bachelor’s degrees;

•  4 Master’s degrees offered in Italian;

•  3 international Master’s degrees, including 1 interdepartmental international program and 1 interregional international program in collaboration with universities in the region.

The Department has a Ph.D. program with a strong international focus, closely connected to the industrial sector; it also participates in and contributes to other cross-disciplinary PhD programs at the University.

University and Society

The Department has a high number of  patents and plant rights and hosts 4 spin-offs with laboratories and structures accredited at national and international level allowing for a constant alignment with the industry. Moreover it contributes to the activities  of the Experimental Farm of the University of Bologna, a farm with about 500 hectares of cultivated land, both owned and leased.