PROJECT ON-FARM

TITLE OF THE CASE STUDY

AGRI ELTER-An example of heroic olive-growing

MAIN DATA OF THE COMPANY

Name of the Company

AZ. AGRICOLA ELTER

Country

Type of the Company

Farming Activity

Direct selling way

SELF – INTRODUCTION OF THE FARMER

I’m the owner of Azienda Agricola Francesco Elter, an organic farm located in Calci on Pisa Montains, in Tuscany. Our main product is organic extra virgin olives oil, that we obtain from the cultivation of 4000 olive trees in a close system process. In addition to cultivating olives, we have an oil mill where we produce extra virgin olive oil. Finally we sell our product directly in the company and we take care to communicate the value of our product through tastings.

CHANGES / INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS ADOPTED

Since the beginning the farm have worked with the aim of obtaining high quality oil. In the oil mill, starting from olives, were obtained different oils with different organoleptic characteristics. This is possible by working separately the olives of different varieties. The oils obtained from each variety are characteristic and have different aromas and flavors. To valorize these different products was necessary to adopt a communication strategy, explaining the quality of the oil through tasting and combinations with food so that the oil is considered an ingredient and not just a condiment. The farmer realize the tasting activity in the farm shop.

WHY AND HOW YOU DECIDED TO INTRODUCE  STRATEGY CHANGES / INNOVATIONS

Considering that the main objective is the quality of oil and the farmer is very interested in increasing quality it was useful to introduce an oil mill to produce oil directly on farms. This allows control of the production in all its phases. Customers can see how the oil is born and follow the process from the olive to the bottle. Knowing the product and the process through which it is obtained leads to customer loyalty.

WHAT OBSTACLES DID YOU MEET

The biggest obstacles are due to bureaucracy. The procedure for obtaining the authorizations to build the oil mill and to start the production are sometimes very long. Another obstacle concerns the difficulty of the consumer to approach our proposal on oil: traditionally extra virgin olive oil is a seasoning product, and the consumer is not able to discern differences from one oil to another. The mission of the farmer is to change this practice by teaching the consumer that there isn’t just one oil but many different oils (500 olive cultivars are available) and it can be used not only as a condiment but also as an ingredient.

EVALUATION OF THE RESULTS

We are satisfied to have acquired new regular customers and above all we are proud to have spread greater awareness of the oil among the consumers themselves. With our work based on communication of oil culture and tasting oil we have increased the knowledge of this important product. Now people are able to recognize different oils and they can appreciate the peculiarities of each of them. A more aware consumer is a more demanding consumer: this will lead to the development of the high-quality oil market.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENT AND WHAT ARE THE PERSPECTIVES IN YOUR MIND

We can be satisfied with what we have done so far. In the beginning we spent the most part of our energy to build the oil mill and maybe we left out aspects of disclosure and sale. We understood that it’s important to produce a high-quality oil but that it's even more important that customers recognize and appreciate this quality.

FINAL SENTENCES

General Evaluation

Work every time to pursuing an improvement and growth, maintaining values on which it is based: quality, attention to detail and especially environmental and economic sustainability.

Suggestions for other farmers

Our farm is located in a low-income area where olive cultivation is very difficult mainly due to the orography. In this context it is necessary to work on the enhancement of the products and it is necessary to communicate the quality of the product. The enhancement of products is a tool for maintaining and enhancing the territory and the landscape which, due to their peculiarity, have an inestimable and non-monetizable value. It is important to spread the culture of oil and all that is connected to it; this is possible with tastings and training.