Karol Barragán-Fonseca is a veterinarian and interdisciplinary researcher working at the intersection of science, society and communication. She holds a PhD in Entomology from Wageningen University and leads the Centre for Terrestrial Arthropod Research (CINAT) at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, where she is an Associate Professor. She also coordinates the initiative Insects for Peace and is particularly interested in developing creative approaches to communicate insect-based systems, integrating storytelling, visual tools and interdisciplinary perspectives..
Giulia Secci is an Associate Professor at the Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI) of the University of Florence (UNIFI) in Animal Science. Her research focuses on enhancing the quality, safety, and sustainability of animal production. Recently, she was part of a project on scientific dissemination, using creative tools such as visual storytelling and comics to educate young generations on sustainable food systems, including entomophagy and responsible fish farming.
Umberto Diecinove is a photographer and author working at the intersection of visual storytelling and environmental research. He is the creator of I N S C T S, a multimedia project launched in 2019 that explores insect farming and its global environmental and social impact. The project, which includes the podcast GET THE BUG, has been exhibited and published internationally, engaging leading voices in the field and contributing to its global visibility.
Oriana Mosca is an Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Cagliari, where she studies how people think, feel, and ultimately make choices about the world they live in. Her work lies at the crossroads of environmental and health psychology, with a focus on well-being, sustainability, and the powerful role of communication in shaping behaviour. Her research takes on real-world challenges, from climate change to shifting food habits, with a particular interest in how people respond to novel and sustainable food solutions, such as insect-based products. By exploring the psychological and cultural factors behind acceptance and resistance, she sheds light on how new ideas can move from curiosity to everyday practice. Deeply involved in international research networks and editorial initiatives, she brings a multidisciplinary and forward-looking perspective, connecting psychology, communication, and sustainability to better understand, and influence, the transitions shaping our future.
Marco Tramonte is Head of Marketing at Alimentastic GmbH, the consumer arm of REPLOID Group AG, in Salzburg. With 15 years of marketing experience across Austria, the wider DACH region, and Canada, his work focuses on categories where consumer perception — not competition — is the central challenge. He combines storytelling with experiential, sensory-led marketing, on the conviction that unfamiliar products earn trust faster through direct experience than through any message about them.
Sara Bellezza Oddon is a researcher at the University of Turin in Italy. For several years, she has been working on the improvement of black soldier fly and yellow mealworm rearing systems, with a particular focus on nutrition. Her research also includes the application of insect-derived products in animal nutrition, exploring their potential as sustainable and innovative feed ingredients.
She will participate on behalf of Fantolino, the company producing the Circolar Egg, the first egg in Italy obtained from laying hens fed with black soldier fly-based ingredients. This initiative represents an important example of circular economy applied to animal production.