SIRENA D’ORO, A CHALLENGE AMONG 220 FARMS AT S.CHIARA

A concourse involving DOC extra virgin olive oil with the participation of 220 farms, and over 37 POD. This is the identity- card of the only national concourse addressed to PDO oils, the so- called Sirena D’oro (Golden Mermaid) promoting Italian high-quality oil, with the first participation of Sardinia lately recognized as PDO by EU. Such meetings are particularly important to evaluate one of the most important products of the Italian agriculture. This initiative was promoted by the Assessorship of Agricolture of Region Campania, the city of Sorrento, the Association “città dell’ olio” (oil city), Oleum and Federcop. The ministry of Agricultural politics wrote a message. This way renders you extraordinary guards of made – in – Italy agro- food”. This message was read during the presentation of the prize in Rome. Guido Magnoni from the agro-food department said: “the oil is an attractive product with some increasing exports in 2008 after the 2006-07 decrease, bound to the production decrease. ICE invests € 100.000 per year for some initiatives abroad, this year particularly in France and Canada; and € 40.000 for the national promotion. Massimo Gargano (Unafrol President) said that the Italian 38 PDO represent a guarantee as for traceability but consumers still have problems to recognize them”. In the third national report on PDO results that 58,3% of Italian families say to recognize the PDO label and 15% the PGI and only 3,9% truly know the meaning of this short marks. Even for this reason the Federcop President Vincenzo Massari underlined the importance of the knowledge of organoleptic healthy, quality values of PDO oils in Italy “the value of PDO products” concluded Enrico Lupi (President of Città dell’ Olio) represents only 3,5% of the total, but it’s increasing. However investments are needed. Institutions should join producers to reach the consumers and let them know the real value of this product”.