Sustainability

Sustainability represents a key chapter in the development of the Cooperative and, above all, for its associated companies.

Sustainability

Energy innovation

Since 2013, L'Ortofrutticola has had a photovoltaic system capable of producing 250,00 kW annually, covering an area of over 1.500 sqm.
The real goal of the Cooperative, beyond the sustainability of its own structure, is to raise awareness among all its members to undertake virtuous paths aimed at achieving sustainable production in all stages of the product life cycle. This is done through offering dedicated training programs, specialized technical consulting, promoting events for professional updating, and innovation in energy-related fields.

Renewable Energy and Photovoltaics

For the Cooperative and its members, the approach to sustainability must be pursued economically, ethically and organizationally.
Thus, each member, within their own company, addresses the issue with daily practices that contribute to producing tangible results. These include the use of photovoltaic energy for greenhouse heating, rainwater reuse, material recycling, new irrigation models and the innovative use of biological materials.
Daily, our technicians and consultants carry out numerous activities for members, offering support in participating in calls for projects dedicated to these issues, guiding them through training paths aimed at creating innovation in agricultural processes, identifying and sharing the best strategies to reduce environmental impact and water consumption in certain crops, and converting agricultural practices that do not yet meet the increasingly stringent requirements of the markets to organic practices.

Biological control and sustainable agriculture

Our agrotechnical assistance provides essential support in guiding our member companies toward the use of natural cultivation techniques such as integrated pest management and organic farming.
From “flowering green corridors” to protect the delicate bee ecosystem, mentioned by member Lara Ravera, to sustainability as a synonym for seasonality, cited by member Maria Balbis, each company can find in the technicians at L'Ortofrutticola the necessary support to transform a need into a sustainable process, both economically and environmentally. Our vision is to offer a real service, proposing applicable solutions suited to the size and capacity of our associated companies.

The territory of Albenga

Sustainable morphology

The morphology of the Albenga area and the Savona valleys represents a significant added value for the agronomic choices and cultivation methods of our members. The absence of extensive, monocultural farming—which characterizes other areas of our country—is the primary source of wealth for the territory and represents the first factor for an approach based on the implementation of biodiversity-based agriculture. The introduction of species and varieties adapted to the pedoclimatic characteristics of the plain ensures that the use of phytotherapeutic treatments is kept to a minimum. As a result, the crops are genetically and naturally more resistant to pathogens.

Low environmental impact

Biodiversity and diversification

Biodiversity is therefore synonymous with greater health throughout the cultivation process, but also with foresight in managing small- and medium-sized agricultural businesses. A diversification dictated by nature's rhythms becomes a fundamental element for diversifying production, tapping into new markets, and dealing with the many unforeseen events farmers encounter daily.

Biodiversity also means the uniqueness of crops and of an offer that more strongly expresses the identity of the territory from which plants, vegetables and fruits originate. These products are often the result of the recovery of ancient species forgotten by consumers, with unique characteristics that are universally appreciated.

Biodiversity and ecosustainability

The characteristic of our member companies being family-run, with neighboring plots of land, allows for an approach based on biodynamic and integrated pest control, even without a common protocol or in response to the need to obtain organic certification for their products.

Agriculture based on biodiversity is closely linked to the desire and willingness to recover a territory that was once neglected, which today offers multiple opportunities when cultivated with these principles, fully aware that the market is increasingly seeking products from environmentally-conscious farming practices. This starts with non-intensive approaches and extends to the use of antagonistic insects or bumblebees for pollinating various species.

Respect for biodiversity and sustainability is a topic that concerns both vegetable and fruit crops, as well as flower and plant producers. For some time now, our members have adhered to market protocols that are often more stringent than "organic" regulations, requiring plants grown in an eco-sustainable manner, without toxic substances that harm bees and pollinating insects.

The use of modern irrigation technologies meets the need to protect the sustainability of agriculture, which requires large amounts of water. The adoption of drip irrigation systems allows the cultivation of species (flowers, plants, and vegetables) with minimal use of nutrients and virtually no dispersion in the soil. The Cooperative’s technicians are available to evaluate with members the best ways to convert outdated irrigation systems into low-consumption, low-environmental-impact systems.

Once again, biodiversity and ecosustainability are strategic factors for the growth of our agricultural businesses.

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