Castellari: “Agrintesa has always been committed to the environment and sustainability”

As soon as we arrive, we’re already enveloped by a sense of serenity and peace— the kind of peace that only nature can give you, and that makes working in agriculture such a great blessing.

The green of the fields, the harmony of the symmetrical, perfect rows, a little dog running free to greet us happily, the clean machinery ready to head out to the fields, the scent of freshly cut grass and cherries just waiting to ripen…This was the atmosphere we encountered as soon as we arrived, and after some initial small talk, we turned our attention to Agrintesa.

Agrintesa is an agricultural cooperative founded in 2007 in Emilia-Romagna through the merger of long-standing cooperatives in the region; it currently represents approximately 4,000 fruit, vegetable, and wine producers. Over the years, it has become a key player in the global agri-food market, and in Italy it is a leader in production, with over 350,000 metric tons of fruits, vegetables, and wine grapes produced annually.

We’re talking about a turnover of approximately 300 million euros, with a production base in Emilia-Romagna but a strong presence in other Italian regions such as Veneto, Marche, Lazio, and Calabria.

Aristide Castellari is the new president of Agrintesa; he was elected in November 2020. He is a calm, unassuming man. It’s easy to talk to him. In everything he says, you can sense his years and years of experience in the agricultural sector, which undoubtedly comes from his family.

One of the main topics we focused on was sustainability and respect for the environment. The president emphasized that “here at Agrintesa, we not only comply with the region’s regulations regarding the use of chemicals, but we have always been mindful of the environment and sustainability. These values are very important to us, and through integrated production, we are able to incorporate this commitment to the environment into our treatments.”

Integrated production is a farming system that prioritizes the use of techniques that minimize environmental impact and reduce the release of chemicals into the environment, thereby ensuring greater agricultural sustainability.

To date, about 15% of Agrintesa’s members are organic farms, and the trend is on the rise. “Regardless of this figure, however,” says Castellari, “even among those who don’t farm organically, producers are aware of these issues—and always have been. It’s also a matter of finances, economic value, and cost savings. Integrated pest management is used to produce healthy fruit and to protect the environment. In general, everyone uses pesticides judiciously, as they are very expensive.”