The hall dedicated to the protagonists of the fruit and vegetable supply chain, Macfrut 2025, opened on 6th May in the pavilions of the Rimini Fair. Among these, there are also some (not many) organic operators. We asked them how – from their observatory – the organic sector has changed over the years and how it will evolve.
Gabriele Longanesi, president of Natura Nuova, present at Macfrut with the new single-dose references under the AlmaverdeBio brand, talked about an evolution in terms of variety and segmentation. “Over the years, the organic market has changed profoundly: today we can count on a greater variety of products thanks to the availability of a more complete selection of agricultural products and raw materials. Even in the organic sector, there are different varieties of fruit that, once processed, offer different tastes and levels of juiciness, giving rise to a wider and more interesting offer. Italy, as a leader in organic production, can offer a range that meets very diverse needs. This has led to increasingly precise segmentation: there is no longer a single product for everyone, but products designed for age groups, gender, habits and consumption preferences. Thirty years ago, this was absolutely not the case. Today we are witnessing a new vision of the market, the result of gradual development and a qualitatively more advanced offer. We are still at the beginning of this journey: there will still be a lot to do in terms of the quality of the soil, the environmental context, nutrition, packaging and the content of the product itself”.
Ilenia Nordera, owner of Bio Trading, talked about how the sector has been able to face the challenges and those it will still have to face. “The organic fruit and vegetable sector, in the past, has not always been ready to face the ‘competition’ of healthy and sustainable alternatives. However, despite the difficulties, the demand and consumption of organic products continue to grow. Today, the real criticality is in production: with the stabilization of the market, prices have also settled downwards, increasing the pressure on producers. Competition has intensified and there is a greater difficulty in maintaining profitability. Added to all this is the impact of climate change, which puts crops to the test. Looking to the future, it will be essential to face this challenge and focus on more decisive innovation in the sector, to make it more resilient and competitive”.
Paolo Pari, director of Almaverde Bio (in the opening photo), from the stage of the Healthy Food Show underlined that “Organic is sustainable because it is required by law. Twenty-five years ago, when the Almaverde Bio project was born, we managed to clear this concept: at the beginning it was a product intended for a very elite public, distributed only in specialized channels and with high prices. Today, however, organic is a food for everyone, available, traceable and represents a real choice. Once it was recommended only to those with allergies or health problems, today it is chosen to improve the quality of one’s diet. Of course, if I drink five liters of organic wine I still feel bad, but if I make the right choices at the table, the fact that a food comes from organic farming makes it good both for us and for the environment. There was a period in which organic was almost seen as a medicine, as if it could compensate for all the dietary errors: it was enough if it was organic. But it is not that simple. Now people read the labels, they pay attention to what is written. This, I believe, indicates the direction in which the market will go: an increasing attention to information and to the real quality of the product“.
Francesco Romagnoli, marketing director of Chemifarma Spa, a company specializing in pharmaceutical solutions in the poultry sector, talked about how the market in general has moved towards alternative solutions driven by the strong evolution of the sector, primarily desired by large distribution chains, which have imposed the demand for antibiotic-free meat. “A choice that has inevitably influenced the entire poultry sector, not only for certified proposals. Compared to solutions exclusively dedicated to the production of organic meat, our numbers are not yet significant, but the trend is growing strongly. We are working to satisfy this demand with increasingly natural solutions. Looking to the future, our goal is to anticipate market trends, making sure we are ready for new requests. For this reason, we will continue to invest in alternative solutions to pharmaceuticals, focusing decisively on natural and sustainable approaches”.
Speaking about fruit and vegetables, especially organic ones, and their role in haute cuisine, chef Salvatore Morello of the Inchiostro restaurant in Parma and a member of Cheftochef emiliaromagnacuochi, explained: “As a restaurateur, I have always given a central role to vegetables in my cooking, often starting from them to build the dish around, then combining a protein. This approach has not changed over time. What has changed, however, is the consumer’s perspective: today there is greater attention, a stronger sensitivity towards sustainability. I believe that the task of a modern chef is precisely this: to observe what is happening in the world and ask himself what he can do, in his daily life, to face the future and help safeguard it. In just two years, for example, it is expected that only half of the current milk will be available, and already today many companies are moving towards alternatives. The same goes for other raw materials. For this reason, we must find solutions and techniques that allow us to continue working with quality, such as fermentation, which offers new possibilities both in terms of taste and conservation”.
Chiara Brandi
