The focus on organic continues for Coop Sole, the agricultural cooperative of Parete, in the province of Caserta, one of the most important fruit and vegetable producers in Campania.
Coop Sole gathers more than 100 producers, with an average production of more than 18,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables per year and a leading position in the strawberry branch.
“The organic growth is in double figures, both in terms of volume and turnover”, says Director Pietro Ciardiello. “Organic is giving us continuous satisfaction in the markets, it is now worth 20% of our total turnover. The aim in the short to medium term is to reach 25%”. The main organic products of the company are strawberries (including the premium line SìBon), followed by small fruits and melons, as well as vegetables, especially kohlrabi and celery. “Some products, such as blueberries and celery, are only cultivated organically by our organisation. It is thus clear that for us organic is an increasingly important and strategic segment on which we will keep focusing firmly”.
Coop Sole was founded in 1962 thanks to the initiative of 29 farmers who understood the importance of sharing knowledge and resources. The positive outcome of this choice was obvious and immediate. They started to achieve greater efficiency and to enhance the value of their productions, with the result that they became a model for the area and enticed other valid producers in the area to join and embrace the cooperative spirit.
Located in a highly vocated territory of Campania, with associated producers also in other regions of Southern Italy, Coop Sole has total control of the production chain: besides the cultivations in the field, it packs, distributes and sells all its products.
Italy is definitely the leading market, but 22% of production goes to Germany. Other important foreign markets include Austria and Switzerland. Coop Sole is also operating in France and is looking at Northern Europe with increasing interest.
Emanuele Zanini
Corriere Ortofrutticolo
