Organic Products from Traditional to Innovative
Tiziana Falco *
Department of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, 87036, Rende (CS), Italy
Giancarlo A. Statti
Department of Pharmacy, Health Sciences and Nutrition, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, 87036, Rende (CS), Italy
Monica Rosa Loizzo
Department of Pharmacy, Health Sciences and Nutrition, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, 87036, Rende (CS), Italy
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The market of European organic products is developing fast; in the last two decades it has reached a value of about 20 billion euro per year, with annual growth rates ranging between 10 and 15%. Organic products comply with rules that relate to sustainable production processes, and are regarded as high quality products. They are sold, generally, at higher prices than conventional products, but the progressive increase in the demand depends, to a large extent, on consumer confidence. Verification of the method of organic production is entrusted in the first instance to bodies of private inspection, and, in the second instance, to the supervisory system of public authorities. In 2011, the market of Italian organic products accounted for approximately 3% of the overall food market, placing Italy in fourth position among EU countries in terms of turnover. This implies an agricultural revolution that changed the traditional image of farmers. Through the allocation of a multifunctional role, organic farmers develop a complex system of rural life.
Keywords: Farmers, multifunctional business, sustainable development, tradition, biological products