Union makes us stronger. Melinda was founded on this concept. Working in team helps achieve better performances for all the players involved, for the territory and for end consumers. This is why the two most important apple farming organizations in Trentino, have signed this important partnership.
A shared organization for product distribution, sales and management. This is the reason why Melinda and La Trentina signed their partnership in 2017. A new horizon for the region’s fruit-farming business with many advantages for the companies, the farmers and for consumers: increased value for both brands, improved sales and service management, optimization of internal resources. In addition, this new synergy allows the redefinition of both company’s range of fruit, improving quality and production sustainability. More opportunities to enhance local production and widen their presence on the marketplace.
Melinda Consortium is formed by the over 4000 families of member-farmers, divided in 16 cooperatives that globally work approximately 6700 hectares of apple orchards in the Non and Sole Valleys in Trentino. Melinda produces over 400,000 tons of apples per year, approximately 20% of Italian production, with 1300 employees, and a 250 million euro billing.
Today, La Trentina has approximately 1200 members, distributed in five cooperatives grouped into the “Cinque Comuni” Consortium, producing 57,000 tons of apples per year, cultivating 1200 hectares of land with 250 workers and a 31 million euro billing.
The agreement between Melinda Consortium and La Trentina Consortium has merged in APOT (Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers from Trentino) the organization that markets both Melinda apples produced in the Non and Sole Valleys, and La Trentina apples grown in the other Trentino valleys.
Certification and Quality are two inseparable terms. In order to be credible, the commitment of companies towards quality products and services must be accurately described, governed by specific standards and procedures and subjected to systematic checks by certifying bodies recognised and qualified by the competent authorities to carry out certifications.
Some certification processes refer to the product itself others to the different conditioning and/or processing stages that the product undergoes.
These certifications aim to attest to the compliance of the product with certain characteristics and/or specifics. They represent one of the most important assessment elements for comparing different foodstuff before purchase while using objective parameters established and controlled by an independent third party body.
These certifications attest the quality of the processes used by the suppliers of foodstuffs for the use and benefit of all potential stakeholders (e.g. clients, consumers and their associations, public bodies, schools, hospitals, canteens, etc.), certifying the suppliers’ ability to produce safe food using safe processes that comply with the contract terms and legal requisites. The certifications guarantee that the products they refer to have been produced in compliance with the established quality standards and meet the required requisites.
They list in detail the specifications of the foodstuff for the producer company:
