Azienda Agraria Sperimentale Stuard

What Azienda Agraria Sperimentale Stuard does

Azienda Agraria Sperimentale Stuard is a non-profit consortium limited company (SCRL) founded in 1983 and based in San Pancrazio, Parma, operating on 20 hectares (8.59 ha certified organic) within the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The company's primary activity is agricultural experimentation — conducting field trials for variety comparison, agronomic techniques, fertilization, pest control, and irrigation across industrial tomatoes, autumn-winter and summer cereals, fodder, fresh-market vegetables, and energy crops under both integrated and organic regimes. It serves as the national technical coordinator for industrial tomato varietal experimentation under OI Pomodoro da Industria Nord Italia and maintains biodiversity collections of over 100 ancient tomato varieties, 100+ ancient wheat varieties, and approximately 200 global hot pepper varieties.

The business model blends professional services with public research funding and direct commerce. Revenue streams include commissioned experimental trials for private agronomic companies and public institutions, technical consulting (partially subsidized via regional PSR programs covering up to 90% of costs), nursery and seedling sales (tomatoes, peppers, ancient cereals), direct retail via the Emporio Podere Stuard shop and local farmers markets, and educational/training services for universities including Università degli Studi di Parma. The company is governed as a SCRL with Fondazione Antonio Bizzozero (a non-profit foundation established in 1926 that holds the underlying land under an 1847 ducal bequest from Maria Luigia d'Austria), Open Fields srl, and Agriform as core shareholders; Roberto Ranieri, former Barilla R&D director, chairs the board. Operations are supported by approximately 22 personnel including 3 agronomist trial technicians, a food-technologist project manager, administrative staff, and production workers, plus seasonal collaborators and social-agriculture work-integration participants.

Recent strategic positioning reflects a shift from pure experimentation toward a multi-vertical R&D platform: Stuard Lab was accredited in 2021 within the Regione Emilia-Romagna High Technology Laboratory circuit and the entity was recognized as a private research organization by MUR in 2022. Active project portfolio under COPSR 2023-2027 and PR FESR 2021-2027 includes SOIL MASTER (carbon credits and agroecology), OrganicCropsHUB-ER (organic AKIS platform), ACTION (climate-adapted industrial tomatoes), GO-FAR (durum wheat genetics), RISORGO (water-efficient sorghum), STREAM2B and IRRI-MIA (precision irrigation/IoT). In February 2026 the company completed L'Essenza del Territorio, a new primary processing laboratory for medicinal and aromatic plants, marking entry into food-plant processing. The company also operates a social agriculture program (since 2015) for work integration of people with disabilities, and is registered as a provincial Educational Farm under L.R. 4/2009.

Name

Azienda Agraria Sperimentale Stuard

Legal name

Azienda Agraria Sperimentale Stuard Scrl

Website

https://stuard.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Azienda Agraria Sperimentale Stuard is an Italian non-profit experimental farm in Parma conducting variety trials, agronomic research, and biodiversity conservation for public institutions and private agricultural companies, complemented by direct organic-product sales and educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research Services

NAICS

Other Crop Farming (1119), Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112), Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Yield Optimization & Crop Performance Consulting (AFACABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Soil Health & Regenerative Agronomy Consulting (AFACABAA), Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL), Sustainability & ESG / Carbon & Conservation Program Advisory (AFACAJAF)

Keywords

• Agricultural research services
• Biodiversity conservation programs
• Agronomic experimentation trials
• Educational farm programs
• Social agriculture services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Pancrazio, Parma

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Agricultural Experimentation Services: Experimental trials conducted on public and private commission, including variety comparison trials, agronomic technique trials, fertilization, pest control, and irrigation experiments for various crops.
2. Direct Sales - Emporio: Direct sale of company products (fresh and processed organic products) and products from small local producers through the company shop and local farmers markets.
3. Technical Consulting: Technical assistance and personalized consulting for agricultural companies, with access to regional rural development program contributions covering up to 90% of costs.
4. Nursery Sales: Sale of vegetable seedlings (tomatoes, peppers) and fruit tree varieties, certified for nursery activities for both vegetable seedlings and fruit species.
5. Training and Education Services: Formation and support to teaching activities including internships, educational training, and experimental thesis development for university students.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Azienda Agraria Sperimentale Stuard is an Italian agricultural research consortium (Società Consortile a Responsabilità Limitata) that conducts field trials, applied agronomic research, and biodiversity conservation programs. Founded in 1983 in Parma, Italy, the organization operates a working farm and the on-site Emporio Podere Stuard farm store for direct sales of farm-produced goods, and delivers educational and social agriculture (fattoria didattica and agricoltura sociale) programs.

Product overview

Azienda Agraria Sperimentale Stuard is an experimental agricultural company operating as a non-profit consortium limited company. The offering is organized as a multi-service platform centered on agricultural experimentation and research services (the core business since 1983), complemented by a direct sales channel (Emporio Podere Stuard), biodiversity conservation services, and educational/social programs. Key products include agricultural experimentation services covering variety trials and agronomic techniques for industrial tomatoes, cereals, vegetables, and fodder; the Emporio for direct sales of organic and biodiversity products; and Stuard Lab, an accredited high-technology laboratory for agro-industrial R&D. The company also operates the Laboratorio L'Essenza del Territorio for processing medicinal and food plants, and manages multiple public-funded innovation projects (SOIL MASTER, OrganicCropsHUB-ER, ACTION, GO-FAR, RISORGO under COPSR 2023-2027; STREAM2B, IRRI-MIA under PR FESR 2021-2027). Biodiversity offerings include ancient tomato seedlings (100+ varieties), hot pepper seedlings (200+ varieties), and ancient cereal varieties, all supported by nursery certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Operates 20 hectares including 8.59 hectares certified organic
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fondazione Antonio BizzozerocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary shareholder and land owner. Fondazione Bizzozero grants the land use rights (Stuard fund from Maria Luigia's 1847 bequest) and appoints board representatives. Controls governance through CdA designation.
• Open Fields srlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary shareholder represented in the Board of Directors. Agricultural technology and innovation company contributing to strategic direction and operational management.
• Agriform Soc. Cons. a r.l.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShareholder and training partner. Agricultural formation company owned by Fondazione Bizzozero, collaborating on training courses and internships in agrifood and agroenvironmental sectors.
• Università degli Studi di ParmacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for student internships, experimental thesis development, and research collaboration. Part of Erasmus+ program for European student exchanges.
• Istituto Tecnico Agrario BocchialinicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShares part of the Podere Stuard facility. Manages a catalog orchard with over 600 fruit varieties, including 500+ native varieties, developed over 30+ years of research.
• Organizzazione Interprofessionale del pomodoro da Industria Nord ItaliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates industrial tomato varietal experimentation. Stuard serves as technical coordinator for varietal trials in the region.
• C.R.E.A. (Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational agricultural research council collaborating on various experimental projects and research activities.
• CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Research Council participating in collaborative research projects and knowledge transfer activities.
• Regione Emilia-RomagnacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary public funding source through PSR programs (2014-2020, 2023-2027) and PR FESR 2021-2027. Supports agricultural innovation projects and experimentation activities.
• FederBio ServiziminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on organic agriculture innovation projects including the network of Listening Desks for agricultural innovation through certified organic farming.
• Coldiretti Emilia-RomagnaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership in the Listening Desks network for organic agricultural innovation support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights12 records

Direct peers

• Horta Srl: Italian spin-off from Catholic University of Piacenza providing decision support systems and agronomic consulting for sustainable crop production. Directly comparable as a contract research/consulting organization serving Italian farmers with experimental services.
• CRPV - Centro Ricerche Produzioni Vegetali: Emilia-Romagna-based crop research consortium conducting field experimentation, variety trials and agronomic research for fruit and vegetable supply chains. Closest regional peer in agricultural experimentation services and applied R&D delivery.
• Agri2000 Net: Italian agricultural research and consulting cooperative providing field trials, agronomic services, and technical assistance to farms and agribusinesses. Directly comparable in the Italian applied agronomy services market.

Broad incumbents

• CREA - Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria: Italy's national agricultural research council with 12 research centers covering crops, livestock, and food. Stuard partners with CREA on experimental projects, making it a comparable national-scale public research counterpart.
• Fondazione Edmund Mach: Large Trentino-based agricultural research and education foundation operating experimental farms, laboratories, and training programs. Comparable as a foundation-driven agricultural research organization combining experimentation, biodiversity, and education in Italy.

Others

• Open Fields srl: Parma-based agricultural technology and innovation company that is itself a core shareholder and strategic partner of Stuard. Relevant as an enabling partner/ecosystem participant in Italian agritech innovation adjacent to Stuard's experimental activities.
• FederBio Servizi: Italian federation of organic and biodynamic agriculture, partner of Stuard in the Listening Desks network for organic innovation. Comparable as an ecosystem participant in Italian organic agriculture research and advisory services.

Regional players

• Terre dell'Etruria: Tuscan agricultural cooperative providing experimentation, technical assistance, and direct sales of local/biodiverse products. Comparable as a multi-service Italian agricultural organization combining research, biodiversity conservation, and direct marketing in a different region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/emporio31483670
• Facebookfacebook.com/Podere-Stuard-1060083767355049
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/azienda-agraria-sperimentale-stuard

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Azienda Agraria Sperimentale Stuard