Fresh PlazaFounded in 2004 in Faenza (Emilia-Romagna-Italy), Agritalia Bio operates on the market as a producer and seller of organic fruit and vegetables. Twelve producing members (1 in Apulia, 4 in Sicily, 1 in Lombardy and 6 in Emilia-Romagna), 22 employers and 227 supplier companies (138 in Sicily, 21 in Calabria, 20 in Emilia-Romagna, 19 in Veneto and 17 in Apulia, etc), for a total of 2,500 hectares, allow the
company to handle 6,000 tons of organic fresh produce per year. The head office in Bagnacavallo covers a surface of 6,500 square meters, of which 1,800 are covered and destined to warehouses, processing room and offices. Agritalia Bio can use exclusively a warehouse in Calabria (700
square meters) and a factory in Sicily for citrus processing (1,000 square meters). These three factories allow an appropriate package for retail sale,
including customized proposals. The company from Bagnacavallo is certified by BioAgriCert and also the producing units and factories in Calabria and Sicily are certified by EcoGruppo Italia and BioAgriCert. 
An accurate planning, in respect of seasonal products, allow Agritalia Bio to
be present with a wide assortment: from citrus (clementines, oranges and
lemons) to summer fruit (peaches and nectarines, apricots and plums) and Sicilian winter vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, courgettes, etc). "50% of 6,000 tons of products is represented by winter vegetables, 30% is citrus and 20% is summer fruit" Auro Sofritti, Agritalia Bio general manager (photo on the side) says. 90% of produce goes to big retail, while the remaining 10% is destined to wholesalers and export, mainly to Germany, Denmark, France and Switzerland. Agritalia Bio receives the sized product directly from the companies or processes it under 'private label'. Even if organic sector is less affected by the financial crisis and consumption reduction, Sofritti explains that the decreasing trend of prices represents a problem also in this sector, mainly for products such as onions and carrots that have tripled production costs. "This year we had a lot of problems with organic oranges: first the truck drivers' strike and then
the heavy snowfall. Further, very small size (8-10) resulted in a 50%-60% reduction of work. Finally, the quality was affected partly by rain. Fortunately all these factors did not influence vegetables." According to Auro
Sofritti, an aspect can be improved in the organic sector: the taste of product. "Using the same parameters of conventional products, the taste does not exalt the healthy features of organic product. For this reason, 
Agritalia Bio and big retail plan the project 'Progetto Maturo', in order to distribute the ripe fruit the day after its harvest, guaranteeing a greater satisfaction for consumers." Tradition and innovation, respect and control, 
research and strictness are the key points of Agritalia Bio to sort and guarantee a quality produce. The traceability is assured per product, site and packaging site. In line with its philosophy, the company uses also trays made of biodegradable wood pulp. Contact: Agritalia Bio, Auro Sofritti, Via San Gervasio, 16, Bagnacavallo (RA), Phone: +39 (0)545 1930002, Fax: +39 (0)545 1930003, Email: commerciale@agritaliabio.eu, Web: www.agritaliabio.eu, Source: Fresh Plaza
