Italy tests climate-resistant wheat as drought reshapes the South

In Emilia-Romagna, Italy's so-called Food Valley, researchers are working on the pasta of the future by focusing on its main ingredient: wheat, according to a France 24 report. The region, home to some of the country's most celebrated food production, is testing climate-resistant varieties as summer heatwaves become more frequent and intense.

The research comes as Italy places all 27 of its major cities under the highest heat alert, with temperatures edging close to 40C in some areas, the Guardian reported this week. The same conditions that strain cities and energy systems also bear down on farmland, particularly in the South, where wheat has been cultivated for millennia.

For Basilicata, a region of 537,000 people where agriculture remains a pillar of the economy, the Emilia-Romagna trials carry a direct resonance. Durum wheat, the basis for pasta, is grown widely across the southern regions, and prolonged drought has already tested yields in recent years.