The results achieved during the period covered by the report will have a considerable impact beyond the single activities carried out. First of all, the establishment of a multilateral network represents a continuous opportunity to share scientific, technical and practical information and knowledge in a unique way, taking advantage of the possibility of an ongoing dialogue among the participants at local, national and international level. Furthermore, this increases the participants' scientific background, allows the development of new skills thanks to the joint activities across a variety of research areas, and expand their professional network. New contacts will also facilitate long-lasting collaboration and the realization of new joint projects and/or new fields of investigation, even before the end of the project, enabling to increase and multiply the outcomes obtained by the present project.
The dissemination activities, oriented to the scientific community, are primarily devoted to scientific publications in peer-reviewed (open access) journals, as well as to a much broader spectrum of stakeholders, truffle producers and hunting organizations. In this way, the industrial and commercial exploitation of the project outcomes is expected to have a strong socio-economic impact, in terms of short- and long-term effects on territories, economies (at local and national and international level) and the society, helping in the spread of successful truffle cultivation, sustainable management of wild truffle resources and boost the production and the industrial processing for a better quality and safety of truffle products. This results in a substantial improvement in both the overall yield and quality of truffle harvests, in terms of enabling truffle producers to make informed decisions, enhancing the economic and employment development of specific territories and contributing to the sustainability and long-term success of their truffle orchards.
Aside from these aspects, truffles have strong social and historical connotations, which attract many consumers and tourists every year. The truffle supply chain in fact, represents a complex system of local actors and interests coexisting in relatively small areas, which nevertheless host large economic interests and long-established traditions. This is especially true for marginal rural areas that have to cope with recent socio-ecological transformations. In this regard, the wide dissemination of the project results contributes to create greater awareness of the importance of introducing protocols for mycorrhization and cultivation techniques and for management of natural sites, as real tools for the sustainable development of these regions.
