A new Italian APO is joining AREFLH.

The Elle Esse APO was created in 2022, but its history is closely linked to the fruit and vegetable production company Salvi, which dates back to the late 19th century. Today, the Salvi Vivai Group and Elle Esse manage a complete production chain, from research and the creation of new fruit varieties to global marketing under the Salvi brand, including nursery operations, agricultural production, storage, and processing.

History

The commercial history of Elle Esse supply chain coincides with the Salvi family of Bergamo, in Italy
In the late 19th century, great-grandfather Luigi Sr., collected fruit from farmers in the valleys near Bergamo and took it to the city market to sell. He was the one who started the very first commercial venture, developing it first into a small retail business and then into a more structured business, thanks in part to the help of his son Giuseppe.
Luigi Jr., Giuseppe's son, was the first to have a profound understanding of the production chain, so in 1966 he moved to Ferrara, once the capital of Italian fruit and vegetable production, where he founded his company.
Today, his children Marco, Silvia, and Giuseppe manage all phases of fruit production and marketing, as well as the nurseries in Italy and abroad.

Production chain

1. RESEARCH: Salvi Vivai, a founding member of the Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti (CIV), collaborates with 13 other international research centers. The CIV invests in research to offer the market new, cutting-edge varieties of strawberries, apples, pears, and peaches that better meet emerging needs. These fruits ensure high-quality production, with particular attention to environmental protection.

 

2. NURSERY: Salvi Vivai is the agricultural company responsible for the production and sale of fruit trees. This phase of the supply chain represents an important step in aligning fruit production with market demands. Salvi Vivai has distribution and production subsidiaries abroad: Salvi France in France and Giotto Polonia in Poland.

 

3. PRODUCTION: Managing production directly provides Salvi with unique experience, enabling it to understand the true needs of the supply chain and provide essential guarantees of quality and traceability to modern retail. With its agricultural companies Giotto, Gaia, Giò, Gemma, Giove, and Gik, the Salvi family directly produces strawberries, peaches, apples, pears, kiwis, and table grapes. A new company, RS Hellas, was recently established to handle the production, storage, and packaging of Greek products.

 

4. ORGANIZED PRODUCTION: PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS (POs). Direct production is delivered to the POs: Associazione Frutticoltori Estense A.F.E. and the PO Consorzio Jonico Ortofrutticoltori C.J.O., recognized pursuant to Regulations (EU) Nos. 2200/96 and 1432/2003, and subsequent Regulation No. 1308/2013. These groups, in addition to Salvi's production, include approximately 1,000 producers throughout Italy, grouped into eight cooperatives. Each PO represents different geographical areas of Italy, making it a true reflection of the Italian agricultural landscape.

In 2022, AOP ELLE ESSE A.R.L. was created, an AOP formed by the union of A.F.E. and C.J.O.

 

5. STORAGE: The A.F.E. and C.J.O. cooperatives, along with their member cooperatives, centralize production and manage product storage in collection facilities located in Italy's main production areas to minimize conditioning times and preserve product quality.

 

6. PROCESSING: The A.F.E. and C.J.O. cooperatives manage product processing. The fruit collected from producers is packaged in four processing centers located in the production areas and processed with cutting-edge machinery and specialized personnel to best preserve the quality of the freshly harvested product.

 

7. MARKETING: UNACOA S.p.A. is the company that markets the Salvi brand worldwide for all products in the supply chain, in particular: kiwis, pears, apples, table grapes, citrus fruits, strawberries, peaches and nectarines, apricots and plums.