Food Valley: the beating heart of Italian agricultural and food excellence

When it comes to agrifood excellence, Italy occupies a prominent place on the world stage, and at the center of this tradition is the Food Valley, an area that primarily encompasses Emilia-Romagna and is home to some of the country’s most iconic products. It is here that some of the most famous specialties considered ambassadors of Made in Italy around the world are born and processed: Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and many other delicacies that find deep roots in the local long-standing tradition. The agribusiness sector in the Food Valley is a true economic engine, with hundreds of companies exporting their products all over the world. Emilia-Romagna, in fact, holds the Italian record for the number of PDO and PGI marks, further proving the quality and uniqueness of its products.

Read this article in German or Italian. 

A rich and fertile land

The Food Valley is not just a recognizable “brand”, but a true geographical region whose success is fostered by a particularly productive agricultural ecosystem. Thanks to its strategic location between the Po Valley and the Apennines, Emilia-Romagna enjoys ideal climatic conditions for fine crops and quality livestock.
At the same time, the strength of the Food Valley also lies in its ability to combine tradition and innovation. Indeed, many companies have managed to ensure high quality standards and increasing environmental sustainability through the integration of new technologies, without ever completely abandoning traditional production techniques. This balance between innovation and tradition makes it possible to preserve the authenticity of products while improving efficiency and reducing environmental impact.

A legacy of excellence

At the heart of the Food Valley are products that have become symbols of Italian excellence. Parmigiano Reggiano, with over 900 years of history, is probably the best known and most appreciated cheese globally. Produced exclusively in a precisely defined area that includes the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and parts of Bologna and Mantua, Parmigiano Reggiano is a perfect example of how the link between the territory and the production techniques can generate an inimitable product. The same can be said for Prosciutto di Parma, which owes its unique characteristics to the special microclimate of the Parma hills and a natural curing process that respects rules handed down from generation to generation.

But the Food Valley is much more than that. From the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, aged for years in wooden barrels, to the tortellini of Bologna (or of Modena? Nobody really knows!), every corner of this land enshrines culinary treasures. Products such as Culatello di Zibello, Salame Felino, and Colli di Parma wines further enrich the gastronomic panorama, making this area a must-visit destination for anyone who wants to discover the best ingredients of the Italian cuisine.

Tomato cultivation in the Food Valley

One of the agricultural protagonists in the Food Valley is undoubtedly the tomato, a product that can boast a solid tradition and represents a significant share of local agrifood production. In the valley of Emilia-Romagna, tomatoes grown for industrial purposes find their ideal habitat, thanks to fertile soil and favorable climate conditions that allow the cultivation of about 70% of the tomatoes processed in Italy. This is a production made of mainly organic and integrated methods, with a very limited use of chemical agents, in line with the growing attention to sustainability.

The area, which is particularly suited for this crop, is pivotal for the processing tomato industry. The tomatoes grown in this region, in fact, are mainly destined to be processed and transformed into passata, concentrates and sauces. The proximity of the processing plants to the fields makes it possible to minimize transportation time, thus preserving the freshness of the raw materials and ensuring a high-quality end-product.

Thanks to the “Tomato SAUCE” project, promoted by the Interprofessional Organization of the Tomato Industry of Northern Italy, and aimed at promoting the sustainability of European tomatoes, we had the unique opportunity to thoroughly explore both the agricultural and industrial aspects of the tomato supply chain, while immersing ourselves in the rich cultural and culinary traditions of Northern Italy.

Discovering Northern tomatoes: a tour made of fascinating stories and delicious flavours

A journey through the world of tomatoes can only start from the land itself. Indeed, the first stop on this tour was a visit to Manuela Ponzi’s fields: 65 hecatres of land which she manages together with her sisters. Here, in addition to tomatoes, they grow wheat for the production of Barilla pasta and milk for the creation of Parmigiano Reggiano.

We are in the heart of the Food Valley, surrounded by vast cultivated fields, and just a few kilometers from here, 150 years ago, Carlo Rognoni (1828-1904), well-known agronomist from Parma, introduced tomato cultivation into the agricultural rotation for the first time.

Unlike fresh salad tomatoes, tomatoes destined to be industrially processed have a tougher skin, but can still be super sweet! The sugar level, known as the “Brix degree, ” affects the price recognized to the grower for each load of tomatoes. From each load that arrives at the farm, a sample is in fact taken that will determine the final price: a higher price will be recognized for tomatoes with a higher sugar level, but also for a low percentage of rotten, green or underripe tomatoes, as well as impurities such as rocks and soil.

We had the opportunity to observe this process directly at one of the most historic companies in the area, Rodolfi Mansueto, which has been in this business for over 125 years. Every day in their plants, hundreds of kilos of tomatoes (exclusively grown within a 50-km radius) are processed into purees, concentrates and pulps. These are destined largely to international markets, such as the German one, under the Oro di Parma brand. The company not only adopts state-of-the-art processing techniques to ensure the highest quality, but has also implemented innovative water recycling systems designed to reduce consumption and reuse by-products, thus helping to minimize waste.