Farmers' delicacies at service areas

(by Elisa Cecchi).
    (ANSA) - Rome, July 31 - As part of an initiative launched at Milan Expo 2015 by Italian farmers' group Coldiretti-FAI, Italian motorists hitting the highway will have a pick of some of the best Italian-made agricultural products when they stop at service stations.
    The initiative was presented on Thursday at the world's fair by Coldiretti-FAI and the Cremonini group that manages Chef-Express service stations.
    The first part of the project involves nine stations in the regions of Emilia Romagna and Lazio, although it will grow to include 43 highway service areas across the country, said Chef Express Director General Cristian Biasoni.
    ''The highway market will open up over the next six to 12 months, when concessions to operate around 150 service areas will expire and we aim to acquire an important portion'', Biasoni also said.
    Over 80 types of top Italian food products will be on sale, including extra-virgin olive oil, different types of pasta and cookies, as well as sauces and aromatic plants, all labeled FAI - ''Firmato dagli agricoltori italiani'', or signed by Italian farmers - to guarantee their quality and destination of origin. According to a new survey carried out by Coldiretti and polling institute Ixè, some 30 million Italian adults will go on holiday this summer and spend an average of 504 euros per person.
    About one-third of the holiday budget will be spent on food, including wine and food souvenirs, Coldiretti said.
    The research also noted that 82% of the holidaymakers polled will be vacationing in Italy, with one in three picking a destination in their region of origin.
    Meanwhile on Thursday the Education Ministry said it would be providing schools with funding so students from across the country could travel to attend the world's fair in Italy's financial capital.
    The ministry said it would allocate almost 3.5 million euros to regions, based on the number of students and their distance from Milan.
    ''Expo 2015 needs to be an opportunity for young people to gain knowledge'', Davide Faraone, undersecretary at the Education Ministry, wrote on Facebook.
    And culture will take center stage at Expo on Friday and Saturday, when culture ministry delegations from 80 countries will be attending a conference on cultural heritage protection.
    The Italian culture ministry is hosting the two-day event, which runs under the banner 'Culture - Instrument of Dialogue Among Peoples', and has extended a conference invitation to culture ministers from the record 140 countries taking part in the Milan world's fair.
    Italian Premier Matteo Renzi is scheduled to address the conference on Friday.
    UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova is expected to attend.