PROJECT ON-FARM

TITLE OF THE CASE STUDY

FORTETO-The supermarket of the countryside

MAIN DATA OF THE COMPANY

Name of the Company

COOPERTATIVA IL FORTETO

Country

Type of the Company

Farming Activity

Direct selling way

SELF – INTRODUCTION OF THE FARMER

Il Forteto is an agricultural cooperative founded in 1977. Today it has 72 members, including workers and contractors and over 80 employees. Over the years, the cooperative has specialized in the production of fresh and aged cheeses, and is one of the most important dairies within the Consortium for the Protection of Pecorino Toscano DOP. But the cooperative has never betrayed its agricultural vocation and in the almost 500 hectares of property on the hills of Mugello, between the municipalities of Vicchio and Dicomano, cattle are raised and fodder and wheat are produced. The agricultural sector is completed by the cultivation of apples, from which we also produce an excellent juice, the cultivation of vegetables for direct sale in the company shop and the production of extra virgin olive oil from our olive trees located in the hilliest part of the property. The flours we produce are ground in the company's stone mill, are on sale in the shop and allow us to produce wood-fired bread that has always been one of our pride.

CHANGES / INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS ADOPTED

ll Forteto was born as a company that produces cheeses. At the beginning it was a small, very artisanal dairy. Over the years it has grown and introduced technical innovations and acquired professionalism. The dairy was and remains the forteto's most important production. The dairy was then joined by other equally important productions. The animal breeding activity was introduced and developed with the breeding of Chianina cattle which finds favor with customers for the quality and characteristics of its meat. Fruit growing was introduced with the cultivation of an apple orchard for the production of apples which are highly valued for their freshness and quality. Subsequently the cooperative started the activity of selling plants in our garden and more recently we started the administration and consumption on the spot of products in our restaurant. I am not talking about a restaurant because in fact it is more of an agricultural restaurant where it is possible to taste and consume the products of our production. With the restaurant business, the cycle of the short supply chain from producer to consumer is completed. Those who come to eat here at the Forteto, know that they find a very special restaurant, perhaps with less table service, but where it is possible to taste the meat produced on the farm, and the pasta obtained from flours produced on the farm. Today, when consumers are increasingly attentive to the quality and origin of products and food, we find full satisfaction for their needs. The positive response of customers to our offer is not linked to an idea of savings but of product quality. In fact, for the most part our customers do not place as the first element of choice the economic saving but the quality of the products they consume and buy. And we work to guarantee and respect the quality of the product. The company is a particularly articulated company. They range from the production of cheeses, to cattle breeding, to the production of fruit. Because of our heterogeneity, we meet a lot of interest from schools. Thanks to this interest, in recent years we have developed the part of the didactic visits especially aimed at students of agricultural institutes and cooking schools. Students are accompanied on a path that crosses all stages of production from breeding or cultivation to transformation to processing in the kitchen.

WHY AND HOW YOU DECIDED TO INTRODUCE  STRATEGY CHANGES / INNOVATIONS

Those who founded the Cooperative introduced direct sales because they certainly had the need to sell the products they produced, to obtain job and economic satisfaction. Initially the intent of the company was to put the products it produced on the market making them available to local consumers who were already oriented to purchase on the farm for some agricultural products. So it cannot be said that everything was born to develop the concept of "short supply chain" considering that in these areas the habit of buying from the producer has always been a reality. The speech of the short chain was born later. Subsequently, the concept of a short supply chain took shape because the consumer also became sensitive to this topic. And when there was more awareness in the consumer and the need for local products increased, Il Forteto was already oriented in this direction and was already structured to provide the customer with a satisfactory direct sales service.

WHAT OBSTACLES DID YOU MEET

The most important problems in the management of the point of sale and catering is the uncertainty of the agricultural sector for the supply of products. As we know in agriculture, nothing is taken for granted: meteorological and seasonal situations can occur that affect crops and productions. The difficulty in always maintaining the same standards both from a quantitative and qualitative point of view can have a negative impact on sales and consumption in the company. In our shop and in our restaurant, we also offer and use agricultural and agri-food products supplied by local producers. We have become a reference point for many local producers who have become our suppliers. Unfortunately, it happens that even the productions deriving from our suppliers are subject to fluctuations in terms of quantity and quality due to the uncertainty to which the agricultural sector is subject. However, we are optimistic and we see a future of growth as in recent years many of our suppliers are young farmers who are very interested in the health aspects of food and sensitive to the cultivation of the good and close on the table.

EVALUATION OF THE RESULTS

We are not alone. More than twenty agricultural and agri-food companies in Tuscany give their products to the Forteto. From milk producers, sheep and cattle, such as the Tuscan Pastoralist Producers Association, to the horticultural companies that supply our greenhouse. This is one of the most important result along the development process of our cooperative. The relationship with the producers has always been strong and is in the DNA of this cooperative, also for this reason, for the production of our cheeses we use mainly Tuscan milk and in any case 100% Italian. Another important result is the constant improvement of the quality of our products. Il Forteto is one of the 18 Tuscan dairies that is part of the Consorzio Tutela del Pecorino Toscano DOP.

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

Those who want to take this path must not aim for and expect immediate and certain earnings. He must be convinced of what he is doing, especially the project he intends to carry out because, as I have already said, the agricultural sector is a sector where there is certainly nothing. If you are convinced of what you are doing you can overcome many obstacles thanks to the important values linked to agriculture and food. Young people are the future. One of our most important objectives is to involve young people and to transmit the values of agriculture and good food. We try to achieve our goal through teaching. We have been very successful with schools and our teaching proposal is very much appreciated. Our very spacious environment with open spaces also allows us to welcome children from kindergartens and primary schools. Contact with animals and the countryside is very educational as well as fun for them. Thus, we begin to train an aware consumer who knows how the products he feeds on are born and manages to appreciate their value. An activity like ours, if well conducted and developed, can be an added value for the territory through the involvement of local companies, as we have already said. It allows us to maintain a bond with the past as well so as not to forget where we come from.

FINAL SENTENCES

General Evaluation

The evolution of our cooperative allowed to overcome many difficulties and problems. IL FORTETO is today one of the most important landmarks of our territory. All our products reach a high quality and are appreciated by the consumers. The commercial network includes both the direct selling and important partners.

Suggestions for other farmers

In our experience it was very important aim on the multifunctionality of our mission. We think that this is one of the challenges for the future. The farming activity cannot be limited to produce following only the productive yield. Quality, touristic and gastronomic valorization, social function, are important part of a successful entrepreneurial activity in agriculture.