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Short Schedule Farm/Company

Name: BIOPOLIS – a shop of the distribution and franchising label “ECOR ITALIA” Web sites: for the specific shop visited: http://www.biopolis-roma.org/ for the distribution and franchising company label: http://www.ecor.it/

Place

Country: ITALY Region: LAZIO City: ROME ECOR and its franchising of shops are extended at national level, the study visit was conducted in a shop in Rome

Product Type ALL KINDS OF PRODUCTS SOLD IN SUPERMARKETS WITH THE CHARACTERISTIC OF BEING ALL ECOLOGICALLY PRODUCED, COMING FROM ORGANIC AND/OR BIODINAMIC FARMS. All products from fresh FRUITS & VEGETABLES, fresh milk, cheese and bread, to home detergents, beverages, soaps and washing up powders, and liquids, or beauty creams, diapers and child care products, cat and dog food, small household electrical appliances in particular for water depuration and other ecologically oriented activities, etc…

Farm visit date 24 May, 2010

3.1.1. PILOTING REPORT Marketing Structures

Pilot seminar leader prepare PILOTING REPORT, where are 2 parts:

Part A: pilot seminar leaders’ report about the study visit realized in a marketing/distribution structure (a supermarket);

Activity Description

Part B: summarized information / data from participants questionnaires.

Part A. Report about study visit to a marketing/distribution organization

1. Characteristics of participants (data from questionnaires), number of:

0 Farmers; 15 students (16-18 years) from a Secondary High School of the Consortium CONFAO: - IIS “LUISA DI SAVOIA - ITG “PANTALEONI” of ROME 3 Other participants

1 (name it)_____1 TEACHER of secondary high school_______

_____3 Researcher/Trainer of CONFAO___________

2. Main interests of pilot seminar participants in marketing.

Most of the students were interested because they have communication and marketing special training pathway in their course of studies, and they are interested because during the visit they were surprised to find out the existence of a BIO-SUPERMARKET selling all kinds of goods usually sold in ordinary supermarkets “well packaged and marketed”. All students were very curious and delighted to understand the process, which has led the management to start from the distribution of an “anonymous” organic farming restricted basket of goods up to the enlargement of these organic goods panel and the creation of a commercial trademark strongly identifying the quality of their goods.

The school teacher, who participated in the event, was interested in opportunity to observe students attitudes and behaviour “on-the-job”, student curiosity and their capability to contribute to the implementation of a new modified piloting tool.

3. Success elements in farm from point of marketing.

The question was obviously turned into “Success elements in distribution/marketing structures”. The success elements, which emerged were:

1. The strong belief in organic and bio-dynamic farming and product

transformation since the end of the 1970s, when the whole western world was breathing an air of change.

2. Ever since its establishing, Ecor has chosen to invest in organic products

for retail in order to promote organic farming and the work of small growers, and to defend and define specialized inland distribution. To that end, in 2002 a franchising of small and medium super-markets called B’io was born in terms of an associative project in which about 250 organic stores participate today.

3. The capability of the general management of the trademark, ECOR first and than of the franchising of supermarkets, to see in “collaborative projects” a possibility not only to survive on the market, but also to expand the success.

4. Recognized problems in marketing.

- Still difficult to convince and attract small farmers into the project of a

common labelling of organic and biodynamic products.

- Difficult to let them understand the opportunities, which represent the participation in a collaborative marketing project.

- Difficulty to intervene on the dimension of price for organic and biodynamic products.

- Difficult to innovate the products.

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5. Proposed recommendations for farm marketing development.

The question was obviously turned into “Proposed recommendations for either

farms and distribution/marketing structure development in marketing” and the recommendations, which emerged were:

1 To empower farmers trust in the system of collaborative distribution. 2 To let farmers keep their own identity under a common trademark and give

value to single peculiarities of farms and of their products.

3 To “educate” customers in understanding the labelling of organic and

biodynamic farm producers.

4 To cooperate with other structures and organizations connected to organic and biodynamic productions.

6. Other comments.

The people interviewed were happy of this connection with education and vocational training, because of their belief that people still need to be “educated” in terms of organic farming, organic production, biodynamic approach to food production, ecology approach to ordinary life, recycled materials from everyday life and personal contribution to improve the quality of life.

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Part B. Participants questionnaire about the study visit to a marketing/distribution organization

Date: 24 May 2010 Name of visited farm: BIOPOLIS – a shop of the distribution and

franchising label “ECOR ITALIA” Country: ITALY

1. Your occupation

0 Farmers; 15 students (16-18 years) from a Secondary High School of the Consortium CONFAO: - IIS “LUISA DI SAVOIA - ITG “PANTALEONI” of ROME 3 Other participants

(name it)_____1 TEACHER of secondary high school_______ _____3 Researcher/Trainer of CONFAO___________

2. What was your aim by attending pilot seminar?

Find more information on marketing strategies, distribution channels, characteristics of organic farming and biodynamic products and their business opportunities.

Visit a shop/supermarket with a specialized distribution and approach

to marketing and sales strategies. Visit a shop/supermarket with experience in collaborative distribution. Understand how the management have coped with the high prices of

organic farming and biodynamic products and how they survive in the market.

3. Did you achieve your aim/objective during the pilot seminar? YES (100% of respondents)

If no, then why?

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4. Please, arrange the order accordingly the significance, what was

important for you in the pilot seminar (1-most significant ...4 –less significant)?

Possibility to acquire new ideas/recognitions in the marketing

1

Possibility to acquire new practical skills

2

Possibility to acquire new contacts with persons of the sector

4

Possibility to spend the time with colleagues during the pilot seminar

3

5. Please, could you evaluate the quality of the pilot seminar:

Very good Good Average Poor

The selection of the distribution/marketing structure

X

Performance of the teachers

X

Organization of the pilot seminar

X

Workbook 1 X

Workbook 2 X

Workbook 3 Not applicabe

6. Other comments, suggestions, refrences The seminar enabled participants to understand some important key

questions linked to the business of organic farming and biodynamic products.

They could see the strategies adopted to organize a supermarket of all kinds of products, which position products do occupy in the shop according to typology and prices.

Students understand the importance of collaborative distribution for SMEs in the specific niche sector of organic farming and biodynamic products. Students suggested important questions for the modification of the workbook format, and they commented that Workbook 1 and 2 could be unified in one single document. Teachers were happy with the enthusiasm of students in dealing on the job experience of this study visit.

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