Principles guaranteed in each stage of pasta production

Girolomoni is the first 100% food italian supply and production chain to enter the World Fair Trade Organization

The whole pasta production chain, fully Italian and organic, whose respect for the principles of fair trade is now guaranteed by one of the most authoritative international organizations in the sector. The Gino Girolomoni farming cooperative has been recognized as a “Fair Trade” guaranteed company by the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), a worldwide network of fair-trade organizations counting over 350 members in 70 countries.

This recognition is the last stage of an accurate process of investigation during which the WFTO has verified the compliance with the standards on fair trade, among which fair salaries for the workers and environmental protection. This commitment will be constantly monitored by the WFTO.

In the fair trade sector, this important system of guarantees is peculiar because it concerns not only single products, but the whole company; in the case of the Girolomoni ecosystem, which has created a comprehensive system from the field to the table, this means that these principles are respected in every stage: from the farming activity for the cultivation and sowing of the wheat, to the processing in the mill up to the production of pasta, therefore obtaining a “fair trade” guaranteed pasta, not only in terms of raw materials, but also with regards to the production process. It is the first 100% Italian food supply and production chain to enter the World Fair Trade Organization.

“We have always shared the principles of fair trade, says Giovanni Battista Girolomoni, chairman of the Cooperative; our company was founded over 50 years ago on the Montebello hill, in the Marche region, to give new opportunities to the dying farming community, founding our work on the values of fair salaries and environmental protection. Entering the WFTO guarantee system is a new important step in this process and represents our commitment for the future based on these values. Fair trade, adds Girolomoni, has traditionally been involved in importing goods from various countries in the world according to principles of fairness, equity and solidarity, today it also focusing on the need to support local enterprises following the same principles. The Exhibition Do the right thing! in Milan, will be an important opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas on these topics.”

Girolomoni:

Located on the Montebello hill in Isola del Piano in the province of Pesaro Urbino (Marche region), Gino Girolomoni is a farming cooperative engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of organic products. The core activity is the production of pasta: the model “from seeds to your table”, with the whole production chain totally organic, built in 50 years of work, makes Girolomoni a unique reality in Italy and in the whole of Europe. The new generation has taken on the inheritance and extraordinary experience of the father of the organic food movement in Italy, Gino Girolomoni, who started his pioneer activity in 1971, and today is continuing this fascinating history based on respect for the land, appreciation of labour and promotion of sustainable agriculture.

The cooperative has 30 members and 70 employees, in addition to the 400 farmers involved in the production chain through the Montebello cooperative. The production site includes 80 farmable hectares and the plant powered with renewable energy, a mill, a pasta factory and the warehouses. The main market is the export: Girolomoni exports in 28 countries, the main ones are: France, Germany, the US, Spain, Australia and Japan.

The cooperative is part of the “Girolomoni ecosystem” including also the Girolomoni Foundation for culture, the Montebello cooperative for agriculture, the Agri-Inn for hospitality and the Consorzio Marche Biologiche (Organic Marche Consortium) for the promotion of a network approach. www.girolomoni.it