Change at the top for the Piedmont Hazelnut Igp Consortium, at the helm Lorenzo Traversa: “We are not properly known.”
Change in the presidency of the protection and enhancement body: “We represent a safe and excellent sector, we will work on promotion”
Lorenzo Traversa, a coril producer from Serravalle Langhe, is the new president of the IGP Piedmont Hazelnut Protection and Enhancement Consortium, and he already has clear ideas about the future of the sector and the next steps.
What are the priorities?
“The Consortium’s goals are to protect, promote, inform and enhance the Piedmont Hazelnut Igp to the consumer. We represent a world-recognized excellence, but right now its production is not adequately valued economically: there is too much supply compared to demand, but we are still seeing market growth.”
How can you intervene?
“The Consortium, in addition to the tasks of protection and control over all stages of production, including labeling, will have to deal with the promotion of the product. We need to raise interest in the consumer. In Piedmont we have excellence and few people know it. A trend that was also demonstrated by a conference I attended at La Sapienza University in Rome, the result of a two-year study.”
What emerged?
“Consumers are not used to knowing the differences between one type of hazelnut and another; they need to be informed and made aware. I take this opportunity to make an appeal…”
Please.
“When you need a hazelnut, choose the Piedmont Igp one: you will have the highest quality, from an organoleptic point of view. And its certification allows its traceability by passing through the various authorized bodies. We know, therefore, the origin of the hazelnuts and there is more control.”
Is this not the case abroad?
“In some states there are less strict laws regarding the use of pesticides, and molecules are used that have been banned here for 15 years. And another very important issue is related to aflatoxin, a substance that is created due to a fungal infection in the fruit and results from poor management of harvesting and drying. We are further along in this respect, and aflatoxin levels are considerably lower.”
Are there other areas where you want to take action?
“We have the possibility of changing the specification and we would like to reduce the quantity per hectare of production, as much as the Ministry will allow: today 35 quintals is too much. We will then try to include parameters that can distinguish our Igp variety from others.”
On the season, can anything already be said?
“This year we are very late, there are contrasting situations that vary from area to area, with very small hazelnuts, but talking about production data now seems like a gamble and I don’t feel like it.”
What is the starting point for the future of the Igp hazelnut?
“From local Piedmontese companies, of all sizes, who have believed in the brand and taken it around the world. We must applaud them, protect them and provide the services that are ours to provide. These companies have been the true champions of the success of the IGP Piedmont Hazelnut because of their ability to believe in the brands: IGP Piedmont Hazelnut, IGP Piedmont Hazelnut of the Langhe, and then the highest certification, which is the IGP Piedmont Hazelnut of the Langhe Organic. There is still a lot of room for growth, but a lot of work has already been done.”
Article by Daniele Vaira
