Full steam ahead with the “Made in Nature” project communication actions: Discovering European organic farming values with the aim of raising awareness of Italy’s excellent organic fruits and vegetables.
Ferrara, 10 May 2019
The “Made in Nature” project, funded by the European Union and coordinated by CSO Italy, presented a new communication format for journalists and experts at Macfrut, within the framework of the Press Lunch planned among the activities of the three-year promotion period.
It was decided to focus on strawberries because of the seasonal aspect and their consumer appeal. The participating journalists took part in a sensory test panel to evaluate all the flavour aspects of the 5 organic strawberry varieties compared.
The varieties subjected to the sensory test were: Sibilla, Brilla, Nandi, Premy, and Melissa.
These five varieties, with different characteristics, are cultivated in the Veneto, Emilia Romagna, and Basilicata regions.
After the presentation of the project’s goals, the participants filled out an evaluation form on which they judged the different characteristics from the standpoints of appearance (colour, size), smell (aroma), and flavour (intensity and persistence, pulp consistency, acid/sugar balance). The final scores, based on a total of sixty points, revealed the participants’ preference for Premy, followed by Nandi, Melissa, Sibilla, and Brilla.
Above and beyond the final result, it is interesting to note the performances of the varieties with regard to the sensory aspects examined: the most visually attractive and most aromatic were judged Premy and Sibilla;
And in addition to the sensory evaluation, the event offered the possibility to deal in depth with the topic of organic farming from a production standpoint, also thanks to the presence of a producer and a field technician.
The personal accounts of the direct experiences of the Premy and Sibilla producer, and of Verona farmer Gaetano Zenti, a Brio supplier, were important and significant for highlighting the complexity of organic production, which is not compartmentalized on the farm, but considers the production process as a whole, from planting to harvest.
Organic farming is a production method that starts with the choice of the land on which to plant the crops, which is prepared beforehand with the restoration of organic substance by tilling green manure into the soil. The choice of the strawberry plants, mechanical weeding, and exposure of the land are all key elements for obtaining a healthy, quality crop production, especially considering the fact that organic production prohibits the use of any kind of synthetic chemical substance for crop protection, fertilization, or weeding.
The strawberries featured in the tasting offered the opportunity to communicate the values of organic farming which are not always made known.
The protagonists of the “Made in Nature” project spoke about the goals of the three-year project activity with Daniela Ballatore, Manager of Foreign Sales of RK Growers, who highlighted RK’s commitment for the entire Piedmontese production sector specialized in organic and biodynamic production, with particular focus on apples, kiwis, small fruits, and stone fruits.
Luca Zocca, Marketing Consultant of Brio S.p.A., stressed the importance of enabling the project to reach the German, French, and Italian markets, offering an availability of products for the entire season and encompassing all the values of Italian production, a leader in Europe today.
Angelica Batani of Canova, of the Apofruit Group, talked about the project activities that will be carried on within the “Isole Almaverde Bio” (Almaverde Organic Islands). Starting with strawberries, it has already been possible to launch product promotions of great impact on consumers.
Massimo Perotto, the Sales Manager of Lagnasco Group, stressed the importance of a common action for organic production which, thanks to Made in Nature, will offer communication space over the coming three years for the organic products of the Lagnasco Group, which mainly consist of apples and kiwis, but also blackberries. Lastly, Antonio Cogo, Director of Veritas Biofrutta of the Mazzoni Group, presented the Group’s activities, especially on the foreign market, where the project format has been very well received.
Made In Nature will continue its communication initiatives with promotion activities in the large-scale retail sector, workshops and b2b meetings with buyers, social media communication activities, and advertising.
The Project will continue until January 2022.
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