Italy: Chi è il padrone?! La marca del consumatore

After the historic manufacturers' brands and the advent of private labels, the “consumer's brand” is arriving on store shelves. Launched in France in 2016 by Nicolas Chabanne and Laurent Pasquier, the idea of a “consumer's brand” has gained ground, intended to allow consumers to take charge of their consumption in a different way. 
 
 Initially based on carton packs of milk, then pizzas, apple juice, organic butter and apple puree, the concept now includes more than forty different product references, some of which have become “bestsellers”, sold in more than 12,000 points of sale by some 20 large-scale retailer chains. More specifically established in north-western France, the CQLP brand (“C'est Qui Le Patron” = Who's The Boss) is also marketed in other countries (Italy, Spain, Belgium, Greece, Germany, United Kingdom, Morocco, etc.) and is spreading to other continents.

“Consumers' tomato puree” hits Italian shelves
Premium tomato purée of 100% Italian origin – softer and thicker than the standard product, without the addition of salt or flavors – made from fruit grown according to sustainable agricultural methods, and sold at a price guaranteeing a fair revenue for growers: these are the characteristics of the “Consumer's Tomato Sauce”, which was the second product reference to appear in the basket of “Chi è il padrone?! La marca del consumatore” in Italy, produced by Fruttagel with tomatoes grown in the provinces of Ravenna and Ferrara, and available from mid-February in Carrefour stores (Italia, Iper, Express and Market) throughout the country. 

Developed in France in 2016 and now present in ten countries and three continents, the movement “Who's the Boss?! The Consumer's Brand” aims to restore the central position of consumers by leading them to recover an active role within the agrifood sector, as underlined by Enzo Di Rosa, head of Chi è il padrone?!: : “On the one hand, there is the desire to promote the local agrifood sector by guaranteeing a fair purchase price for farmers and breeders. On the other hand, there is also a desire among consumers to free themselves from imposed 'business models' and to participate in societal changes – by moving from the role of simple consumers to that of agents of change – in order to allow everyone to make their purchasing decisions consistent with their own convictions, and to guarantee respect for social, ethical and environmental characteristics in terms of quality and food safety as well as in the area of a correct price to be paid for products placed in the basket.”

Characteristics and price of the “Consumer's Tomato Sauce”
So consumers' contributions were sought, and 2,137 of them contributed to launching the “Consumer's Tomato Sauce” by completing a detailed survey questionnaire (see additional information), which resulted in defining the product characteristics and the price, obtained by adding together the corresponding costs of each choice made.

 Among the answers given, the Italian origin of the tomato proved to be crucial, underlined by 93.2% of consumers, while 81.8% considered it important to guarantee the protection of workers' rights and a fair payment that allows growers to “live without worry and invest in their business”. Regarding the choice of tomato cultivation methods, 64.8% of consumers praised sustainable agriculture, in that it makes reasonable and intentional use of natural resources. As for processing methods, 71% opted for a premium tomato puree made from fresh tomatoes, sweeter, less acidic and thicker than required by the standard product, packaged in glass jars or bottles (65%), without added salt (70.5%) or flavorings (85%), so as to retain all the authentic taste of quality tomatoes. “Consumers' Tomato Puree” is available in a 500 gram format, with a recyclable paper label certified by the FSC™ (Forest Stewardship Council™).

Fruttagel was the partner selected by “CQLP”
Production was entrusted to Fruttagel on the basis of technical specifications defined by the joint decisions of consumers who are members of the “Who's the Boss?!” association.
Fruttagel is an agro-industrial processing cooperative established in Alfonsine (Ra) since 1994, which operates at all levels of the supply chain, from crop fields to consumers' tables, processing the fruit and vegetables delivered in quantities by its member growers. This is particularly the case for the tomatoes used in making the “Consumer's Tomato Sauce”, which are harvested in the provinces of Ravenna and Ferrara.
Since its creation, Fruttagel has been resolutely committed to sustainability in all its forms – environmental, social and economic – and shares its founding principles with the Association, as Stanislao Giuseppe Fabbrino, Chairman and CEO of Fruttagel underlines: “We are happy to be a part of this project because it is guided by the same principles that have always driven Fruttagel's work.
 
 We share with ‘Who's the Boss?! The Consumer's Brand' the common objective to promote increasingly responsible purchasing choices that recognize the fair value of the products and the work of those who have participated in their development – both farmers and employees. There is a lot of talk about environmental sustainability, a front to which we are strongly committed with many activities and significant investments in terms of processes and products, but sustainability cannot ignore a global vision that also includes social and economic dimensions, towards which consumers have been showing increasing sensitivity. Consumers are more and more consciously active in terms of choices, paying attention not only to what products contain and what they cost, but also to how they are made.”

Carrefour is the first large-scale retail business to launch the brand
After welcoming “The Consumer's Pasta” (Pasta dei Consumatori), the first product co-created by consumers, onto its shelves last June, Carrefour, which is the first large retail chain to support “Who's the Boss?! The Consumer's Brand”, will also offer “The Consumer's Tomato Puree” from mid-February, gradually extending it throughout the country in Hyper, Market and Express stores, both direct managed and franchised. 
“At Carrefour Italia, we strongly believe in ‘Who's the Boss?! The Consumer's Brand’ because it reflects our vision of a real transition for all players in the food sector. This new tomato sauce,” explained Rossana Pastore, Director of external communications and institutional relations for Carrefour Italy, “is not only a high quality product, it also represents the values to which we have been committed for some time, in favor of more sustainable and responsible production and consumption. As a major retailer, we have a responsibility to guide the industry towards change that has a strong social and environmental impact, and to educate consumers about ever more conscious and better choices for everyone.”

 “The Consumer's Tomato Puree” also encourages awareness through its labeling. Indeed, the product carries an “Aware” label, to allow consumers to better interpret the meaning of the minimum shelf life. The “Aware” label is a first operational step of the “Pact against food-waste,” a virtuous alliance between companies, supermarkets and consumers, promoted by the Too Good To Go smartphone app, with the aim of reducing food waste over the next three years, through initiatives and practical operations at all levels of the agrifood sector. The label invites consumers to check if products are still edible after the sell-by date, a campaign that Too Good To Go has already successfully promoted in other countries like France, Germany and Denmark, and is now taking to Italy.

Some additional data
Composition of the recommended final price (1.27 Euro) for the 500 ml bottle of "Consumer's Tomato Sauce"

Detailed survey:
https://lamarcadelconsumatore.it/prodotti/passata-di-pomodoro/

Sources: CQLP, italiafruit.net, fruitbookmagazine.it, Fruttagel, Carrefour, Too Good to go