Montecitorio Palace – Rome
A new award branded USA arrives as official and international recognition of the professionalism and corporate mission of the young collaborators who form the "core" of Smarties.bio.
The America Agriculture Award, promoted by the Italy USA Foundation, is an acknowledgment for the leading entrepreneurs of the best Italian agricultural companies. Alongside the America Award—the historic recognition destined for the most prestigious personalities of international renown—the America Agriculture Award aims to highlight 300 talents from our country’s agricultural entrepreneurship every year. These individuals are leaders of companies of excellence that represent the best of "Made in Italy" and are competitive within the global market and its challenges.
The award ceremony will be held on January 12, 2026, at the Chamber of Deputies (Via di Campo Marzio 78, Rome). During the event, the founding partners of Smarties.bio Andrea Ghedina, Luca Bertaggia, and Silvano Tiozzo Caenazzo will be presented with the America Agriculture Award diplomas. In addition, a scholarship will be offered to attend the Italy USA Foundation’s online Executive Master’s program in “Leadership for International Relations and Made in Italy.” This is a prestigious international recognition that serves as a qualification and certification of quality for consumers and markets alike.
While the current core of Smarties.bio is young, the soul of the company is older, with roots in an agricultural world still in "black and white" a tradition of family heritage and training born in the lagoon territory of Sottomarina di Chioggia (Venice). Over time, the company has developed several projects in the USA, including its affiliation with the Culinary Breeding Network, led by Professor Lane Selman, and a collaboration with Uprising Seeds. These projects fall under the main pillar of Smarties.bio: the “Progetto Gusto Italiano” (Italian Taste Project) for the promotion and protection of local Italian horticultural heritage and its biodiversity. For Smarties.bio, the promotion of Italian Taste begins with the seed, and the "Seed and Service" method supports "The Project" by providing integrated technical consultancy alongside sales.
The flagship sector of Smarties.bio remains genetic research in professional horticulture and the fundamental activities of recovery, protection, maintenance, and distribution of local native varieties. The company blends tradition with innovation to make these varieties suitable for the modern market. Over the years, the company has acted as a trait d’union between all elements of the supply chain (producers, distributors, retailers, the processing industry, consumers, and the culinary world) realizing the corporate values expressed in its motto: “Those who want to live well and significantly must contribute to enriching the lives of others.” A corporate philosophy oriented toward overcoming radical forms of protectionism. The high and healthy quality of eating and living is the value to be shared with communities, and on January 12, 2026, it will be celebrated.