CONAPIConsorzio di Apicoltori ed agricoltori-biologici

italiani

Who is CONAPI

• 600 beekeepers from all the regions of Italy.

• 2 cooperatives of Libera Terra (organic producers of

pasta, flour and wine from Sicilia and Calabria)

• 1 group of organic rice

• 1 cooperative of organic fruits producers

• 7 Fairtrade cooperatives from many countries of

coffee, honey, sugar, cocoa.

Production

Honey

• Produces about 1.600 tons of honey,

about 45% is organic

• Conapi is the biggest honey producer in

Italy and the also the biggest of organic

honey

• Biggest producer of organic rice

• Important producer of organic pasta.

Philosophy of Conapi

• development of production which respects

the environment and cultural aspect of the

food

• Respect of origin, land, quality and identity

of the producers

• respect of the biodiversity

ALCE NERO – MIELIZIA da Conapi(MediTERRAbio s.p.a.)

• Social capital: 3.2 Mill. Euro

• Forecasted Turnover for 2004: 20 millon Euro

OWNER OF THE

BRANDS

DISTRIBUTOR

OF THE

BRANDS

PRINCIPLES, WHICH GUIDES OUR PRODUCTIVE AND

COMMERCIAL POLICY:

•QUALITY

• IDENTITY

•PROTAGONISM OF THE PRODUCERS

• INNOVATION

VALUE OF THE ORIGIN OF

THE PRODUCTS

• Beekeeper’s

name

• Origin

• Harvest date

• Numbered jars

IDENTITY CARD OF THE HONEY

The traceability is the most important instrument for shorten the

distance between producers and consumers.

• Working with Fairtrade since 1998

•Product: honey from México,

Guatemala and Nicaragua

•Why working with Fairtrade?

Solidarity with the producers of

the South.

• Working with Fairtrade since 1998

•Dealing and distributing direct

•Building of MONDOVERO, a brand,

with other processors of coffee,

chocolate, tea for a better

distribution.

• Working with Fairtrade since 1998

•Dealing and distributing direct

•Building of MONDOVERO, a brand,

with other processors of coffee,

chocolate, tea for a better

distribution.

IDENTITY OF THE PRODUCERS

• Import of fairtrade honey

1999-2004, in t

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

tons

Turnover Mondovero, in €

01000002000003000004000005000006000007000008000009000001000000

2002 2003 2004

Turnover

Changes of the way of working with

Fairtrade: Decision of Conapi to cancel

Mondovero:

•a) brand wasn’t known enough, no interest

to invest while, Alce Nero is well known.

• b) Conapi is not just a dealer,

dissatisfaction.

•c) Fairtrade producers wanted a new way.

Problems of Southern producers

in working within Fairtrade:

• They are producers of raw materials (no

added value) of one product;

• Only export is possible within fairtrade, no

or weak connection with the local market.

Association of international Cooperatives Sin Fronteras

(CSF)

What is CSF?

• An assocciation of producer cooperatives

from many countries, which are trying to

improve their position in the market,

specifically the organic, the fairtrade and

the local/domestic market.

• It is a strategic alliance between

producers in the North and the South.

Members of CSF

• At present: 15 cooperatives (and

producer associations) from 10 countries:

Italy, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama,

Guatemala, México, El Salvador, Brasil,

Perú and Argentina.

•And 3 stakeholder organizations (non-

producer organizations): one finance

cooperative (ETIMOS) and 2 NGO’s.

Main tasks of the Association CSF

• To allow democratic participation

• To develop policy and establish roles

• To organize training and define new

markets

How does the system work?

• Business is done among the cooperatives,

that means, CSF isn’t replacing existing

structures.

•FT-Products are brought with as much

added value as possible to Italy, Conapi

processes and distributes it on behalf of the

producers.

Products

• Whole raw sugar, coffee, cocoa products,

honey

•In preparation: orange and mandarin juice,

tropical juice, organic white sugar.