ANICAV: 7th Edition of the Filo Rosso del Pomodoro

As stated during the conference held on 29 November in Naples, the ANICAV has set itself the mission to improve the entire Italian processing tomato industry and its products, which are one of the most important sectors of the country's food industry. The round tables held on that day, which brought together partners of the sector in moments of encounter and confrontation, enabled a better analysis of current problems and provided proposals for problem-solving and competitive strategies for companies of the sector.

Antonio Ferraioli
 "During the 2019 processing season, production increased by about 6.5% compared to 2018, although only 4.8 million tonnes of tomatoes were processed. It is a production level comparable to that of last year, but with a significant reduction compared to what had been programmed. Internal consumption data shows that the negative trend is continuing, while exports are performing well and offsetting the decline in domestic consumption. So foreign markets are still seen as a major growth driver," said Antonio Ferraioli, President of the ANICAV. A number of critical points remain, according to Mr. Ferraioli, "which concern the entire industry and therefore the ANICAV, and have justified the commission of a study from the Reputation Institute in order to assess ways to increase the credibility of the sector and enhance its image."

As part of the efforts undertaken in terms of recognition, "the ANICAV supported the two Italian Pomodoro IOs during the submission to the Ministry of Agriculture, in January 2018, of an application for recognition of a voluntary certification whose objective is to improve quality. Similarly, the ANICAV is also working on developing the Protected Designation of Origin of the San Marzano tomato for the production of peeled tomatoes, with the aim of targeting the American market," added President Ferraioli.

Developing the "social capital" of companies
For Fabio Ventoruzzo of the Reputation Institute, "90% of market value today depends on intangible assets such as research, innovation and reputation. The latter represents the ‘social gold’ of the company, insofar as it motivates an increase in sales and the willingness of a growing number of people to work towards its development.
Currently 6 out of 10 Italians express a positive opinion in terms of their perception of the sector, but their opinion is less favorable with regard to products themselves. Consumption levels of canned tomatoes are most often related to the convenience of preparation rather than to the quality of the products. We need to invest in communication to reach consumers and the big retail outlets by creating emotion through careful labeling." 
 

 First round-table discussion,  from left to right: Gianmarco Laviola, Bruna Saviotti, Francesco Mutti and Antonio Ferraioli
"Despite the intrinsic value of tomatoes in terms of nutritional contribution and as an emblem of ‘Made in Italy’ productions, the processing sector is extremely poor. By not giving its fair value to this product, the sector is losing some of its dignity. We must intervene with industry-wide proactive projects to restore the image of tomato products, by re-educating consumers to accept a fairer price. In addition, in order to avoid losing competitiveness, it is necessary to invest in active communication that gives greater credibility to the national system," said Francesco Mutti, CEO of Mutti Spa.

Commenting on market results, Bruna Saviotti, Managing Director of Tomato Farm, explained: "The most significant decline is in the peeled tomatoes category, with a drop of 6.2%, and also in pulps where there has been a decline of 3.6%. Results for cherry tomatoes are still negative but a little less worrying, with a 1% decrease. In the semi-finished products category, it is competition that influences the price, with the result that our sector is now positioned correctly and that the prices are fixed higher than those of our Spanish competitors. We are also relying on labeling regulations because they can bring benefits to the whole industry: what needs to be communicated to consumers is the healthy nature of the product."

Gianmarco Laviola, General Manager of Princess Industria Alimentare, announced "the signing of an agreement with Coldiretti to guarantee a fair price for growers, who benefit from the appropriate training to guarantee a quality product, by monitoring the industry via a ‘blockchain’ system to ensure increased traceability and food safety. With the project ‘Working without borders’, we want to strengthen the social value of the company and the possibility of appropriately including immigrant workers."

As for Tiberio Rabboni, President of the northern Italy Pomodoro IO, he described what is being done to optimize tomato production, including collaboration with plant-health services in order to manage the main problems affecting crops and quickly identify plant diseases, the institution of organic and integrated production itineraries, and support measures for regional denominations.

Guglielmo Vaccaro, President of the south-central Italy Pomodoro processing tomato IO, stated that "the south-central basin is characterized by a fairly fragmented industrial fabric. It is therefore very difficult to fight against negative dynamics. The IO of the south-central region has only been in existence for ten months. So much work remains to be done, but we strongly believe in working with the northern Italy IO. On 8 January 2020, an ethics and sustainable development protocol will be approved."