Nicola Barbato of the Italian GB Agricola wants to better protect, improve and raise the quality of the yellow onion, Cipolla Ramata di Montoro, on the markets. To achieve this goal, he has combined the traditional cultivation method with an innovative supply chain traceability system, the Authentico blockchain platform. On Tuesday 13 July 2021, GB Agricola hosted a conference on this theme.
Nicola Barbato of GB Agricola di Montoro (Avellino) - Click here to see more pictures
"With the traceability of the supply chain, we can ensure greater transparency for the consumer, as it is possible to guarantee the authenticity of our onions, to exclude imitations, but above all to convey a concept of food safety, while also promoting our crop."
A recyclable, cardboard packaging, FSC certified and with low environmental impact - Click here for more pictures
The entrepreneur accompanied the conference guests to the different company sites to show the whole production process. "The traceability of our onion starts in the field, with the seeds we produce ourselves, and then follows all the stages of storage and processing, up to and including shipment. As a guarantee of this process, a QR code on the label can be scanned, which not only ensures traceability of our onion supply chain, but also provides additional information. Moreover, we have decided to display technical data, such as the logbook and cadastral searches to locate the parcels."
Francesca Barbato showing the typical Cipolla Ramata di Montoro braid - Click here to view the full photo album
"Furthermore, we are moving towards more sustainable farming from an environmental, social and economic perspective. We have drawn up an ad hoc production specification, and our 24 hectares of Cipolla Ramata di Montoro are all already certified organic. Thanks to our collaboration with TimacAgro and the refinement of production techniques, we were able to achieve a 30% increase in productivity (contrary to popular belief that organic production can give positive results in terms of quality but not quantity). We achieved this by simply modifying the conventional planting pattern, which increased the density per hectare.
Francesca Vitolo described the partnership between GB Agricola and TimacAgro. "We immediately felt a bond because of the common goal: to grow onions with technologically advanced organic fertilisers that can also guarantee good productivity, without losing sight of the principles of biodiversity protection. Together we achieved the goal and reached an even higher level of quality and quantity than in previous years”.
From left to right: Nicola Barbato, Giuseppe Coletti, Carmela D'Amato, Antonio Limone and Francesca Vitolo - Click here to view the full photo album
Traceability is one of the pillars of food safety. The QR code can increase consumer trust by providing transparency on the crops and the process.
The Cipolla Ramata di Montoro has many nutritional properties, making it a real superfood. It is characterized by its sweet and aromatic taste. It can be stored for up to 9 months, retaining all its characteristics, as it has a lower water content than other onions.
"Transparent packaging is not enough to convey trust towards a crop. We have observed that food safety motivated purchases during the lockdown and that territoriality and sustainability have stimulated Italian consumption and will continue to do so. Moreover, brand and label transparency are two factors that influence buyers' choices. It is in such a context that blockchain traceability and our dedicated platform are suitable for small businesses. Among other things, Authentico has created its own brand to certify supply chain traceability using blockchain," said Giuseppe Coletti, CEO of Authentico.
Authentico is a project set up by managers, entrepreneurs and professionals who, by combining their respective skills, wanted to create an innovative system to support the fight against the counterfeiting of Italian food abroad.
The stock is delivered in wooden crates - Click here to view the full photo album
"Atr the moment, the traceability only applies to fresh onions, but we are also working on the certification of the supply chain for the processed product," said Coletti.
GB Agricola, the company promoting the collective geographical mark, also plans to take the necessary steps to obtain the certification mark. Finally, the application for the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) recognition for the Cipolla Ramata di Montoro will soon be submitted.
For the latest updates, see www.gbagricola.it and www.authentico.it