CHRISTMAS 2007: ITALIANS GO STRAIGHT TO THE FARMERS – ONLINE – FOR THEIR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING. THE NUMBER OF FARMS WHERE GOODS CAN BE BOUGHT ON THE INTERNET NOW AT 57,530 (+48% SINCE 2001)

An online map of all of the wineries and farms located in every region of Italy is now available on the Internet, making it possible to shop directly from farmers to get the best offers for both quality and price. It is an initiative that has been promoted by the agricultural federation Coldiretti in order to guarantee free access throughout the holiday season for those who would like to buy “DOC” certified traditional local goods at lower prices. By going to the web site www.campagnamica.it, and clicking on the search engine, “In viaggio per Fattorie e Cantine”, it is possible to discover which farms are located in a specific region and the array of products that they produce and sell directly online.
Coldiretti explains that this is a response to the need to combat price hikes that have been created by a lethal mix of recent strikes with the beginning of the holiday season, bad weather, and negative speculations. According to a report by an observatory on direct online sales by farms that was promoted by Coldiretti and Agri2000, in 2007, farms that sold their goods directly on the Internet rose to 57,530, for an increase of 48% since 2001.
The top products that are bought online are wine (making up 37% of all sales from 21,400 different farms), fruits and vegetables (with 28% of total acquisitions from 15,940 farms), olive oil (with 20% from 11,250 farms), cheese (with 11% from 6,250 farms), meats and cold cuts (8% of sales from 4,680 farms), and honey (with 3% of total sales from 1,940 different farms).
More Coldiretti data showed that in 2007, seven Italians out of ten made at least one acquisition directly from farmers, considering them a better source for saving money (with prices that reach even 30% less than in store prices) and for an increased guarantee of product quality. It is a growing trend among consumers that has generated a record-breaking sum of 2.5 billion euros in earnings from direct sales.
This is the result of a growing need to combat the exponential increase in costs as well as a growing interest in who is producing, and how, the food that one eats. In Italy, there is a growing number of consumers who want to save on their acquisitions as well as getting the best and freshest products from their territories, which do not have to travel great distances with polluting transportation to get to their dinner tables. By consuming “0 kilometer” goods, or goods that are produced locally, and buying seasonal as well as paying attention to the use of packing materials, a family can cut carbon dioxide consumption by up to 1000 kilos per year. There are now farms that sell their goods directly online throughout all of Italy’s regions.
Tuscany is the top region with 9,670 farms for a total of 17%), followed by Lombardy (6,120, 11%), Piedmont (5,780, 10%), Abruzzo (5,420, 9%), Sicily (5,120, 9%), Veneto (4,860, 8%), Emilia Romagna (4,230, 7%), Liguria (2,760, 5%), Lazio (2,170, 4%), Trentino Alto Adige (1,740), Puglia (1,420), Campania (1,375), Marche (1,320), Basilicata (1,260), Umbria (1,140), Friuli (1,130), Sardinia (1,082), Molise (440), Calabria (310) and Valle d’Aosta (183). Almost two out of three farms (63%) are set up for direct local sales, 14% have on-premise shops and 24% participate in markets and fairs, which are especially abundant during the winter holidays.
There has also been a sharp growth of 4% in home deliveries while there was a decrease of 1.4% for farmers opening outlets in city centers. “Direct sales” – concluded the president of Coldiretti, Sergio Marini – “are an opportunity for this country with positive effects on containment of inflation and safeguarding the environment but, also for consumers who want to save and have a guarantee that their acquisitions are safe and of high quality. And direct sales are an occasion for agricultural companies who want to sell without intermediaries and demonstrate directly what their characteristics are and the work that must go into creating their unique and inimitable territorial specialties”.

The Most Popular Acquisitions from Farms in 2007
(Product – number of farms)
Wine – 21,400
Fruits and Vegetables – 15,940
Olive Oil – 11,250
Meat and Cold Cuts- 4,680
Cheese and Milk – 6,250
Honey – 1,940
Source: data from Coldiretti and Agri2000

The Numbers for 2007
Total Earnings – 2.5 billion euros Number of Farms – 57,530 Increase in Number of Farms since 2001 - 48% Clients - 7 Italians out of 10 Top Region - Tuscany Top Product –
Wine Source: data from Coldiretti and Agri2000