"FACE TO FACE WITH": AGIRE

February 2025

Bio, vegan or vegetarian, plant-based, functional, free from or rich in: which of these product areas does your company fall into and why did you choose to invest in that segment?

The agri-food innovation cluster AGIRE is a consortium operating in the organic sector, which was created in response to the Abruzzo Region's desire to create a centre of innovation in the agri-food sector and other related strategic sectors. <<With approximately 70,000 hectares of organically cultivated land and 1,960 farms using organic production methods, Abruzzo ranks among the regions with the highest and most varied potential at national level. Approximately 11% of the utilised agricultural area (UAA) is devoted to organic farming, reflecting the richness and diversity of crops present in the territory, ranging from viticulture to horticulture and cereal and fodder crops.>> (source: CIA, Italian Farmers, 18 September 2024. http://www.cia.it/news/notizie/biologico-anabio-cia-abruzzo-settore-volano-per-leconomia-del-territorio/) In this scenario, AGIRE plays an important supporting role between the innovation needs of businesses and the new market demands increasingly oriented towards organically certified products.

Through what good practices - also in the way products are delivered and in the choice of distribution channels (e.g. Horeca) - can your company be said to be sustainable?

The sustainability of AGIRE can be found in the member companies with organic certification, which must necessarily support the good practices typical of organic farming. The sustainability of AGIRE can also be found in the actions of involving local companies in environmental sustainability projects with the adoption of new agricultural practices or innovative solutions.

Has the growing consumer demand for healthy/healthy food urged you to provide more innovative solutions?

AGIRE, in its actions to promote agricultural innovation, is committed to gathering the market demands of consumers and shaping innovation and sustainability actions in response to them. Consumer demand is therefore one of the elements that drives AGIRE towards the promotion of new sustainable and innovative production models.

How do your solutions contribute to improving the out-of-home customer experience?

AGIRE actively promotes meetings and dissemination days of a technical-scientific nature aimed at all players in the local food supply chains, including consumers/customers. These initiatives are also important occasions for exchanging ideas, listening to common problems, and disseminating information on intelligent and responsible purchasing.