"I am even more determined to succeed as President of the Consorzio di Tutela del Pomodoro di Pachino Igp than in my previous years of service. I owe it to the members of the consortium and to the people of the Board who wanted me to be at the helm of one of Italy's most prestigious associations. On this occasion I would like to thank the outgoing President, Salvatore Lentinello, for his work," said Sebastiano Fortunato.
"We are focusing our attention primarily on the sustainability of the branded product. Not that our tomatoes need any adjustments in this direction, but in modern agriculture, the characteristics of a brand need to be certified so that consumers can have another piece of information on which to base their purchase decision. The certification process we have initiated is called Carbon Footprint (click here to learn more). This is a measure that, in accordance with the Kyoto Protocol, quantifies the total greenhouse gas emissions related directly or indirectly to a product in CO2 equivalent," said Fortunato regarding the new projects.
"The process is certainly long, but we are sure that our message will reach not only the consumer, but the whole supply chain so that it can focus with more conviction on a crop of excellent and authentic quality."
"We will demonstrate that we are sustainable, despite our distance from the European and international markets. The zero km policy for crops is often distorted for commercial purposes, masking that in some cases lighting is on for many hours of the day and heating for many hours of the day and night. In other companies, it is even necessary to cool the greenhouses, due to excessively high temperatures. All this has a significant impact on CO2 emissions, which are much higher than the parameters for cold greenhouses in Sicily. Our eco-friendly approach also extends to the sustainability of packaging, which has already begun and which I will strive to pursue with determination."
"Another key point of my role is related to the monitoring of members, both growers and packers. I expect strict adherence to specifications to prevent imperfections that could inadvertently invalidate our brand standards. It is not always easy, as this is a crop highly affected by fluctuations, but I have already discussed some issues with the IZS of Palermo, the certification organization. They will help us, while the inspection activities are still delegated to the supervisors. After all, this is a collective brand that must always be respected."
Sebastiano Fortunato
"We will also continue our promotional and communication operations, which on the one hand aim to draw attention to a crop of great value known to a wide audience of Italian and international consumers. On the other hand, they aim to broaden the social base of our Consortium by reaching out to growers who are not yet involved. The first event in which we will play a promotional role is our participation in a conference on the traceability of tomatoes. This will take place on 23 June 2021 in Vittoria," concluded Fortunato.
For more information:
Sebastiano Fortunato
Consorzio di Tutela Pomodoro 
di Pachino Igp
Via Milano, 2
96018 Pachino (SR)
+39 0931 595106
segreteria@igppachino.it
www.igppachino.it
"We will also continue our promotion and communication activities aimed at keeping the attention focused on a product of great value and well known to a large number of Italian and international consumers, but also at expanding the social base of our Consortium, by reaching out to producers who are not yet involved. The first event in which we will play a promotional role is our participation in a conference on the traceability of tomatoes. This will take place on 23 June 2021 in Vittoria," concluded Fortunato.