This project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund

through the Interreg Alpine Space programme.

WP T2 – IDENTIFICATION OF BEST PRACTICES

IN THE COLLECTIVE COMMERCIAL VALORISATION OF ALPINE FOOD INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

WP leader: Kedge Business School

Deliverable n. D.T2.2.1

Field Study of Relevant Cases of Success: Walnut Oil in Aosta Valley

Involved partner: Diego Rinallo Kedge Business School

1

AbstractWalnut oil (ouillo di gnoué in the local patois) is rooted in the Valdostan food heritage. After areconstructionofthebroaderhistoricalandculturalcontextofwalnutoilproductionandconsumptioninAostaValley,thisfieldstudyreconstructsthehistoriesanddevelopmenttrajectoriesoftwowalnutoilproducerswho,indifferentmanner,havecontributedtothesafeguardingofthetraditionalwalnutoilproductiveknow-howanditsvalorisation.Oneisaprivateartisanalproducerwhoownsawalnutoilhot-press passeddown through the generations in his family. The other is a successful commercialenterprisethathasresumedafamilytraditionandintroducedaninnovationtotheproductionmethod(the coldpressureofwalnuts) in response tomarketopportunities.These caseshighlight that foodheritage is at the same time traditional, contemporary and alive, and that product and processinnovations in response to evolving needs are compatible with its safeguard. Different productionprocessesrootedintraditionalheritageandknow-howthatthuscancoexistinthesamearea.Thecasealsoshowsthatheritageproductscanbevalorisedinthemarketplacethroughdifferentmechanism.Theirvaluemaybegroundedintraditionandtypicality,whichhowevermightnotbeenoughtoattractheritage-insensitivemarket segments.Researchon the cardio-protective functionsofwalnutoil hasgreatlycontributedtoopennewmarketstoValdostanproducers.Finally,thecaseshowhowhygieneregulationsmayhindertheturningtraditionalknow-howandskillsintomarketableoffer.Foodheritagecannotgeneratesustainabledevelopmentifthosewhoownvaluableheritageskillsanddesiretocreatenewbusinessarediscouragedfromdoingso.L'olio di noci (ouillo di gnouénel patois locale) costituisce un elemento importante del patrimonioalimentare valdostano. Dopo una ricostruzione del contesto storico e culturale più ampio dellaproduzioneedelconsumodell’oliodinociinValled’Aosta,questostudiosulcamporicostruiscelestorieeletraiettoriedisviluppodidueproduttoridioliodinociche,inmododiverso,hannocontribuitoallasalvaguardiadelknow-howproduttivotradizionaledell’oliodinocieallasuavalorizzazione.Ilprimoèun produttore artigianale privato che possiede un torchio per la spremitura a caldo delle nocitramandato nella sua famiglia attraverso le generazioni. Il secondo è un’impresa commerciale disuccessocheharipresolatradizionefamiliareintroducendoun’innovazionenelprocessoproduttivo(laspremitura a freddo delle noci) in risposta a opportunità dimercato. Questi casimostrano come ilpatrimonioalimentaresiaallostessotempotradizionale,contemporaneo,evivo,echeinnovazionidiprocessoediprodottoinrispostaall’evoluzionedeibisognisonocompatibiliconlasuasalvaguardia.Processiproduttividiversi,benchéoriginatidallostessopatrimonioculturaleeknow-howproduttivo,possonoquindicoesisterenellastessaarea.Ilcasomostraanchecheiprodottichesonoespressionedelpatrimonio culturale possono essere valorizzati sul mercato attraverso meccanismi diversi. Il lorovalore può derivare dalla loro tradizionalità e tipicità, ma tali caratteristiche possono rivelarsiinsufficientiadattiraresegmentidimercatoinsensibiliailoroaspetticulturali.Laricercasullefunzionicardioprotettive dell’olio di noci ha contribuito in maniera significativa ad aprire nuovi mercati aiproduttori valdostani. Il caso mostra infine come le norme igieniche possano rendere difficiletrasformareknow-howecapacitàtradizionali inoffertecommerciabili. Ilpatrimonioalimentarenonpuògeneraresvilupposostenibilesecoloroinpossessodicapacitàtradizionaliechedesiranocrearenuoveimpresesonoscoraggiatidalfarlo.

2

Contents1.Introduction2.MethodologicalProcedures

3.CulturalandHistoricalBackground

4.ProductionPracticesandKnow-how5.ATaleofTwoProducers

6.ConcludingremarksReferences

3

1.IntroductionWalnutoil (ouillodignoué in the localpatois) is rooted in theValdostan foodheritage. It isincludedintheregionallistoftraditionalagri-foodproducts(ProdottiAlimentariTradizionali– PAT; https://www.regione.vda.it/agricoltura/prodotti_tipici/tradizionali/default_i.asp).AfterareconstructionofthebroaderhistoricalandculturalcontextofwalnutoilproductionandconsumptioninAostaValley,thisfieldstudyreconstructsthehistoriesanddevelopmenttrajectoriesoftwoproducerswho,indifferentmanner,havecontributedtothesafeguardingfothewalnutoilproductiveknow-howanditsvalorisation.2.MethodologicalProceduresThisfieldstudywasdevelopedbasedondirectinterviewswithtwoinformants(Mr.ValentinoGeorgy, Villeneuve, traditional walnut oil maker, 1h26’; Ms. Marilena Peaquin Bertolin,entrepreneur,owneroftheDinusDonavitwalnutoilbrand,1h36’).Italsobenefitsfromthefieldworkwith5informantscarriedoutbyMs.MarilisaLeteyfortheBREL(BureauRégionalEthnologie et Linguistique) of the Autonomous Region Aosta Valley which resulted in the‘Production of Walnut Oil in Aosta Valley’ entry published on www.intangiblesearch.eudevelopedinthecontextoftheAlpFoodwayprojectactivities.3.CulturalandHistoricalBackground1WalnutshavelongbeencultivatedinAostaValley.ThesolitarywalnuttreesareanimportantfeatureoftheValdostanagriculturallandscape.Somehistoricaldocumentsreportthatintheold village of Thora (in the highlands of themunicipality of Sarre), which was completelydestroyedbyalandslidein1564,therewerenumerousmillstonesandpressesusedtoproducewalnutoil.Commercial licensesfrom1683includedanexemptionforwalnutexportationtoneighbouringPiedmont.Inadditiontoitsprizedwood,thewalnuttreehistoricallyprovidednutkernelsthatwerepressedtoobtainwalnutoil.Astheonlyavailablevegetablefat,itwasanimportantfoodstaple,aswellasaveryimportantfuelforlamps.Nevertheless,starting inthe late18thcentury, therewasadrasticcut inwalnutcultivation.Thiswasdocumentedonehundredyears laterbyLaurentArgentier,a farmerandfoundingmember of the Comité Agricole de l’Arrondissement d’Aoste: “Here is a tree that was quitecommoninAostaValley(...)Therearemanythreatstoitsexistence:thehighvalueofitswood,which is used for the finest works and is thus much sought-after; the widespread use ofpetroleumoil,whichhasgenerallyreplacedtheuseofwalnutoilforlighting;theinconsistencyand reduction of walnut products due to the inconsistency of our spring as a result ofdeforestation;andtheproliferationofinsects”.Peoplealsobelievedthattheshadeofawalnuttreewaschillyandsoitwasnotadvisabletostoporrestunderawalnuttreebecauseonemightriskcontractingsomerespiratoryailment.

1 Section3and4ofthepresentstudyareheavilybasedonthewww.intangiblesearch.euentry ‘ProductionofWalnutOilinAostaValley’writtedbyMs.MarilisaLeteypreparedinthecontextoftheAlpFoodwayproject,whichisherereproducedalmostverbatimwithpermission.

4

Afterthesecondpost-warperiod,withtheimprovementoflivingconditionsandtheadventofmodernformsofdistribution,consumptionofwalnutoilwasfurtherreducedinfavourofoliveoil.Fromaculturalpointofview,similarlytoothertraditionalproducts,itsconsumptionwasalso abandoned as it remindedpeople of “whenwewerepoor”. Changing living conditionsmeantthatownersofwalnuttreesorgroveswouldnotevengathernutsandleftthemtorottotheground.SomeoftheautochthonousValdostannutvarietiesarealsosmallandunfittousefor themaking of patisserie, leading some confectioners to source them from other ItalianregionsandFrance.Morerecently,scientificresearchshowingthatwalnutoilcanhelpreducecholesterolandriskofcardiovasculardiseaseshascontributedtoarenewedconsumerinterestforthisproductandfacilitateditscommercialisation.ThankstothesupportoftheAostaValleyAutonomousRegion’s financial support,walnut trees havebeen reintroduced in theValley,bothof autochthonous andnon-local varieties.The latterwere introduced for their greaterproductivity.4.Productionpracticesandknow-howTodayasinthepast,familiesintheAostaValleygrowwalnuttreesnotonlyfortheirfruitsbutalsofortheirprizedwood.Startinginlatersummer,walnutgrowerskeepthegroundclearedunderthetrees.Theycutandcollectthegrasstomakeiteasiertocollectthewalnuts,whichtendtofalltothegroundafterripeningintheautumn.Sincethewalnutsdonotallripenallatonce,theharvestdoesnottakeplaceatonetime.Thewalnutgrowercollectsthenutsalmostonadailybasis, removing thehuskasnecessary. It is still a commonpractice to strike thewalnut-ladenbrancheswithlongrodstocausethenutstofallandthusconcentratetheharvestperiodtofewerdays.After being harvested, thewalnuts are placed in a dry,well ventilated place such as a loft,garage,orstoreroominthehouse.Theyareplacedinwoodenorcardboardcratesinshallowlayerssothattheywilldryproperlywithoutmouldgrowth.Thewalnutfarmerchecksthemcarefully,turnsandmixesthem,andmovesthemtoabetterlocationifnecessary.Thefarmershells the walnuts in late autumn, when they have completely dried. It is a long, tediousoperation,buttoday,asinthepast,itisseenasapleasantwaytopassthetimetogetherwithothers.Shellingrequiresexperienceandmanualdexterity,butitisarepetitiveoperationthatdoesnotrequireintenseconcentration,thusallowingtheshellerstochatfreelyaboutthisandthat.Thewalnutsarebrokenopenwithsimplenutcrackersorspecialmallets.Anassemblylineapproachisoftenused,withonepersonopeningthenutsandanotherextractingthekernels.Small artisanal or family operations generally do not use specialmachines for shelling thewalnuts.Onceshelled,thekernelsareputintopaperbreadsacksorglassjarssotheywillkeepwellbeforebeingground.Thewalnutkernelsaregroundimmediatelybeforetheyareputintothepresstoextracttheoil.The coarseness of the grind varies from family to family. Grinding thewalnuts favours thesubsequentpressingprocess.InkeepingwithValdostantradition,thewalnutoilishot-pressed.Thisallowsmoreoiltobeproducedthaninacold-pressingprocess.Thepahtón(ormatsón,

5

walnutmeal)isheatedoverafireinaspecialpan(shallowandwide,usuallymadeofcopperor stone). The operation is usually performed by an expert, who stirs the walnut mealconstantlytokeepitfromburning.Theexpertisabletotellwhenitistimetoremoveitfromthe fire just by looking at it. If they overheat, thewalnuts take on a toasted flavour that isgenerallydisliked(“theyburninyourthroat”).Thewarmnutmealisplacedinafood-gradeclothandplaced in thepress.Theclothkeeps the solidmeal fromendingup in theoil andcausingturbidity.Somefamiliesstilluseawoolblanketforthispurpose(specificallyadrap,awovenblanketmadeofwoolfromValgrisanche).Theoilisexpressedrelativelyquicklyintheearlypressingphaseandthendwindlestoadrop-by-dropflow.Theoilobtainedfromthehotpressinghasanintenseflavour,whichmanyprefertocold-pressedoil,whichismoredelicateandlessaromatic,withanalmostimperceptiblebouquet.Inrecentyears,variousfamiliesandanumberofcommercialoperationshavebegunproducingcold-pressed walnut oil, which better preserves the original qualities of the walnuts. Theprocedure is identical: the walnuts are ground and then pressed. In this case the yield issomewhat less than in hot-pressing. The yield is also influenced by the variety ofwalnuts:certainwalnuts, although relatively small, produceagreateryieldandare thusparticularlyprizedandsought-after.Thewalnutfarmerplacesthefreshlypressedoilinalargeglassjar,whereitislefttosettleforafewdays.Afterwardsitisfilteredthroughcheeseclothandputindark-glassbottlestoprotectitfromthelight,which,likeheat,cancausetheoiltogorancid.Properlystoredwalnutoilwillkeepforatleastayear.Troillet(fromtheFrenchtreuilandLatintorcolum,screwpress)istheresidualwalnutmealfromthepressingprocess.Ithasalwaysbeenconsideredadelicacy.Itmaybeeatenstillwarmfromthepressingoperationorusedtomakecakesandsweets.Somefamiliesusethetroilletaschickenfeed.Walnutoilisusedrawtodressspringlettuce,carpaccio,freshcheeses,orpasta.Walnutoilisalsobroadlyusedintraditionalmedicineasamassageoilbyrabeilleurs(traditionalbonesetters)toalleviatejointandtendonpain.Theproductionofwalnutoilisrootedinartisanalloretransmittedmainlythroughthefamily,atleastuptoafewyearsago.Inmanyproductionfacilities,thetradeisstilllearnedthroughdirect experience, with the older andmore experienced walnut grower guiding the youngapprenticeandteachingthetraditionalproductionmethodsWalnutharvestingisstillcommonlypracticedinAostaValley,especiallyinsomeareas.Veryfewoftheharvestersareprofessionals,mostgrowwalnutsontreestheymayhaveinheritedand produce oil using traditional methods. Walnut growing in Aosta Valley is witnessingrenewed interest. Someyoungpeoplehavebegun togrowwalnutsandproducewalnutoil.Parallel to familyproduction, there isanartisanal industryofsmallandmediumbusinesseswhocombinetraditionalknowledgeandmethodswithmoderntechnology,allowingsalesofwalnut oil even outside of Aosta Valley. These businesses domuch to promote walnut oilproduction: theyhelp the local growers bypurchasing theirwalnuts, thusmaking the cropincreasinglyimportantandprovidingincentivestoboostproduction.

6

5.ATaleofTwoProducersMr.ValentinoGeorgywasbornin1951andlivesinVilleneuve.Heownsawalnutoilhot-pressandrelatedequipmentthatheinheritedfromhisfamily.Hisgrandfather,fatherandunclesusedtomakeoil“asaserviceforthecommunity”.PeoplefromallovertheAostaValleycametohisfamilybringingtheirownwalnutstocomebackhomewithenoughwalnutoil fortheentireyear. His family was very well-known, having bought from previous owner the necessaryequipmentwiththehousewhentheysettledinVilleneuveinthe1840s.Astonewalnutoilpresshadalreadybeeninoperationonthesitesinceatleastthebeginningofthe18thcentury.Beingskilledmetalworkersemployedinanearbyfactory,duringthe20thcenturysomemembersofthe family substituted theolder stonepresswithametaloneand introducedvariousotherinnovationswhichcontributedtoreducetheoilproductiontimetoapproximately1.5hoursforeach production cycle (see Figure 1). In a typical day, 9 to 11 presses could be produced,requiringtheworkoftwopeople,andyielding7-8litresofoileachdependingonwalnutqualityandvariety.Duringthe1950s,theflowofclientswassteady.Productiontookplacetwiceayear,inDecember(typicallyafterChristmas,possiblytotakeadvantageoftheChristmasholidays)andMarch,sincewalnutoilisrequiredforthedressingofdandelionsalad,andtheplantstartsgrowingatthebeginningofspring.Duringeachoftheseproductionperiods, thefamilywasbusymakingoilforapproximatelythreeweeks.Inthe1970-80s,therewasstillagoodnumberofclients.

Figure1–TraditionalWalnutOilMakingHotPressandEquipment

Source:Author’sphotographyofMr.Georgyandhiswalnutoilmakingworkshop.TakenwithPermission(12January2018).

Mr.Georgy,helpedbyhissonRoger,tookovertheactivityfromhisfatheratthebeginningofthe2000s.Clientsarenotasmanyastheyusedtobeinthepast,butmakingoilisnotafull-timeactivity(andneverwas)forMr.Georgyandhisfamily.Therearecurrentlytwokindsof

7

customers: thosewhohave theirwalnutspressed tomakeoil for a fee, and thosewhobuywalnutoilasanendproduct.Theformertypicallyarefarmersorprivateswhohavewalnuttrees on their land. The latter are friends and acquaintances.Most clients have knownMr.Georgyandhisfamilyforaverylongtimeandareveryloyal.Occasionally,newclientsarrivethroughwords-of-mouth or during the local festival taking place onAugust 16th. Formanycustomers,walnutoilisaheritageproductgroundedinthehistoryandtraditionoftheAostaValley,andanecessaryingredientforoldandnewrecipes(dandelionsaladandmanyothers).SomearealsointerestedinTroillet(theresidualwalnutmeal),whichhasvarioususessuchastoseasonpastaormakesweets.Somearealsointerestedinitshealthbenefits,sincewalnutoilcandecreasecardiovascularrisks.Onlyduringthemid-1990stheGeorgyfamilybecameawarethismotivationtobuywalnutoil,whenalocalcardiologistrecommendedtheconsumptionofwalnutoiltooneofhispatientsanddirectedhimtotheGeorgyfamily.Mr. Georgy does not advertise his activity, as “itwould notmake any sense” given that hequantityofoilheproducesislimited,butisawareofthemarketpotentialoftraditionalwalnutoil.Therearehowevervariousobstaclestoturnhissmall-scaleactivityintoabusiness.Oneimportantdifficultyistherespectofhygieneregulationsthatwouldrequireimportantfinancialinvestments and compliance to norms that would risk altering the production method inimportantmanners,possiblyinfluencingoiltaste.Mr.Georgyisnotcontrarytoinnovationorhygienenorms, of course–his familyhas after all introduced important innovations to thewalnutoilmakingprocess.Heisnothoweverwillingtosubstitutehishot-press,passeddownthroughthegenerationsinhisfamily,tocomplytoregulations;usechemicaldetergentstocleanthepress“astheywouldendupintheoil”;orsubstitutethedrap(thewoollenclothusedtokeepthesolidwalnutmealfromendingupintheoilcausingturbidity)withsomedisposableartificialmaterial.“IfIdoitinadifferentmanner,itbecomesadifferentthing”.DinusDonavitislegalpartnership(societàinnomecollettivo)ownedbyMs.MarilenaPéaquinandpartners.Ms.Péaquin’sfamilyhaslongproducedwalnutoil.Alreadyatthebeginningofthe20thcentury,Mr.FrançoisPéaquinstartedaproductionforhisfamilyandforthepeopleofthe surrounding area who brought their walnuts to be transformed into oil. His son Dinofollowed into his footsteps until the 1970s, when reduction in demand linked to changingconsumptionhabitsforcedhimtodiscontinuetheactivity.Theequipmentwasleftunusedand,in 1976, the stonemillwas donated to the local parish to be used as altar. To remind thedonation,thestonewasinscribedwiththeLatinwordsDinusDonavit(itwasdonatedbyDino).When in the 1980s Ms. Péaquin, supported by her father, decided to resume walnut oilproduction,shedecidedtonamethecompanyDinusDonavit(seethelogoinFigure2).Ittookhoweverfourorfiveyearsfromtheideatotheactuallaunchoftheinitiative.Ms.Péaquinhadtofacemanydifficulties.Fromasocialpointofview,manyinherfamilyandsocialcirclediscouraged her, as walnut oil was a thing of the past. From a cultural point of view, theoperationswereintendedtobeasrespectfulaspossibleoftheheritageMsPéaquinhadbeentransmitted fromher family; a stonemillwas evenprocured in substitutionof theoneher

8

fatherhaddonatedtotheChurch.Theappleofdiscordinthissensewashoweverwhethertohotorcold-presswalnuts.Hot-pressingresultsinagreateryieldandinoilwithamoremarkedandtraditionaltaste,butwithalimitedexpiration.Cold-pressingresultsinamoredelicatetastebuta reducedyield; it alsoavoids the riskofover-heatingandburning theoil.Ms.Péaquinremembersdiscussingatlengthwithherfather–wholikemanywasagainstthisdeviationfromtradition-abouttheprosandconsofthetwoalternativesandtheirimpactonoiltaste,durationand quality. Yet, cold-pressing facilitated production and commercialisation. Additionally, agreater productivity was a necessity in the past when no other vegetable oil was locallyavailable,butnolongerneededatatimewhenconsumptionofthisproductwassolimitedanditsproductionsoexpensive.OutsideoftheAostaValley,therewasinsteadlimitedpreclusiontocold-pressing,whichencouragedMs.Péaquin.Forexample,anoliveoilproducerfromSicily,knownforhisexpertiseasoiltaster,appreciatedthesavourofcold-pressedoilforitsreducedacidity. At Cibus, a specialised professional food trade fair inMilan, an informalwalnut oiltastingsessionobtainedaveryfavourablefeedbackfromthepublic.

Figure2–DinusDonavitLogo

Source:http://www.dinusdonavit.com/

Legaldifficultieswerelinkedtotheneedtorespecthygieneregulations.Someaspects,suchastilingthefloorofthewalnutoilmakingfacility,wereeasytodealwith,butothersweremoreproblematic.Ittooktime,forexample,tothelocalhealthauthoritytograntpermissionfortheinstallationofawoodstove in theproductionarea,withoutwhichtheyieldofcold-pressedwalnutswouldhavebeenevenlower.Otherdifficultieswerelinkedtosecuringalargeenoughsupply of walnuts and organising the production process. One of the reasons pushing Ms.PéaquintoresumeproductionofwalnutoilwasthattreeownersintheAostaValleyhadlongceasedharvestingwalnuts:afewweregatheredforfamilyconsumption,butmostwerelefttowastetotheground.WhenthewordspreadthatDinusDonavitpaidaninterestingprice,manyfamiliesandfarmersstartedresumingharvesting.Somefamilieslettheirchildrengathertheirwalnutsandkeepthemoneyforthemselves.Forotherfamiliesandfarmers,theharvestingofwalnuts had become a profitable endeavour. Another challenge was linked to the time-consumingnatureof shelling thewalnuts (anestimatedonehourofmanual labour foronekilogramofwalnuts).Manysupplierswouldcaredoingitontheirowndespitethehigherpricepaidforkernels.Thetaskwasentrustedtoalocalnon-profitorganizationfavouringthesocial

9

integration of children with disabilities, who were duly compensated for their work andadditionallymotivatedwiththeprospectofaDinusDonavit-sponsoredholiday.ThelaunchonthemarketoftheDinusDonavitwalnutoiltookplaceintheearly1990s.ItwasfacilitatedbythefactthatMs.PéaquinisalsoownerandmanageroftheSalumificioMaisonBertolinsrl,awell-establishedproducerofcharcuterieandothertraditionalValdostanmeat-basedproducts,includingthePDOlardfromArnad.TheinitialproductionwassolddirectlytoconsumersintheMaisonBertolin’sshop.Initialproductionwaslimitedbythelocalavailabilityofwalnuts,whichincreasedasthelocalcommunitybecameawareoftheopportunityofferedbyDinusDonavitbutfacedcyclicalshortagesduetoinfestinginsects.Soldinsmall0.25litresbottles due to its expensive price, the product attracted clients with differentmotivations.Tourists,particularlywheninsearchoftypicalproducts,tendedtoappreciateit,butlocals–particularlyolderconsumerswhohadabandoneditsuse inthepast–wereamoredifficultmarket segment. The latter were rather motivated by the walnut oil health benefits. TheproductwasalsobundledwithotherMaisonBertolinproductsasaChristmasgiftbasket.Onlyinthemid-1990stheproductwasactivelypromotedthroughspecialisedfoodfairs,wheretheproduct – new at the time – was met with interest. This enabled to meet commercialintermediaries interested indistributing theproduct (foodretailers,butalsoapharmacist),chefs,journalistsandfoodandwineexpertsandinfluencers,whohelpedwiththepromotionatthenationalandinternationallevel.ConfrontedwithgrowthindemandandinsufficientsupplyofValdostanwalnuts,startingfromthemid-2000sDinusDonavitlaunchedanoilmadewithwalnutsfromotherpartsofItaly.Againit took time to find suppliers with similar walnut cultivars and a compatible philosophy.Eventually,acooperativeofyoungproducerswasselectedinSorrento.Oilfromthesewalnutshasamoredelicatetaste,duetodifferencesinterroir.Thetwoproductshavepackagesandlabelshighlightingthewalnutorigins(seefigure3)andaresoldatdifferentprices.Specifically,theoil fromValdostanwalnuts isslightlymoreexpensive“togivemorevalue” toValdostanwalnuts.

Figure3–DinusDonavit:OilfromValdostan(left)andItalian(right)walnuts

Source:http://www.dinusdonavit.com/index.php?id=2-3

10

TodaythecompanyhasgrowninsizeandisdistributedbyMaisonBertolintoretailersandrestaurantsintheAostaValleyandelsewhere.Wasteproductsfromoilproductionaresoldtootherproducers.Thetroillet,forexample,isusedtomakewalnut-basedcookiesorasfodderfor pigs. The company premises are sometimes visited by tourists during its oil-makingoperations (January to March). The company’s website (www.dinusdonavit.com) offersinformationabouttheoriginoftheproduct,rootedinthetraditionoftheAostaValleyandMs.Péaquinfamily,andthewalnutoilnutritionalvalueandhealthbenefits.ItishighlightedthatwalnutoilisrichinOmega-3andOmega-6fattyacidsanddailyintakesarerecommendedtopreventcardiovasculardiseases.6.ConcludingRemarksThisfieldstudyshedslightonvariousimportantissuesinthesafeguardingandvalorisationoftheAlpinefoodHeritage,includingthelinkbetweentraditionandinnovationinthecontextofheritage products. Innovation can be rooted in tradition. According to the UNESCO’sconceptualisation, know-howandother formsof intangible cultural heritage are constantlyrecreatedbycommunitiesandgroupsinresponsetotheirenvironment,theirinteractionwithnature,andtheirhistory.Itisatthesametimetraditional,contemporaryandalive,andneedstoevolvetorespondtoenvironmentalchanges.Productandprocessinnovationsinresponsetoevolvingmarketneeds, technological innovationsandchanging regulationsare thereforecompatiblewiththesafeguardofa livingfoodheritage.Variousformsofproductsrootedintraditionalheritageandknow-howmaycoexistinthesamearea(AlpFoodway,2018).Some,likeinthecaseofMr.Georgy’soperations,canbethoughtassurvivals,orproductsthat,withlimitedadaptations,havekeptbeingproduced‘astheyusedtodointhepast’.Ms.Péaquin’sDinusDonavitresumedinsteadaninterruptedfamilytraditionandintroducedanimportantinnovation (the cold pressure of walnuts) in response to market opportunities. Today’sinnovationishowevertomorrow’stradition–asthecaseofMr.Georgy’sfamilyinventivenessalsoshows.Innovationishowevernotalwayseasy,andvisionaryentrepreneurswhotryandinnovatebyrevivingtraditionalproductsorintroducechangeintheirproductionmethodscanbefacedwithlocalresistanceandevenscorn.Externalexpertiseandopinions–suchasthoseofnon-localproductexpectsorclientsmetattradefairs–canhelpescapelocalcriticismandfocusontherightmarketsegments.The case ofValdostanwalnut oil also shows that heritageproducts canbe valorised in themarketplacethroughdifferentmechanisms.Theseproducts’culturalandidentityvaluecanbeappreciatedonlybysomeconsumers,whetherlocalsinsearchoftheirrootsortouristslookingfor typical products. To attract the interest of heritage-insensitivemarket segments, othersourcesofvalueneedtobe found.Walnutoilhadbeenused intheAostaValley forvarioustraditional medicine uses, which however have not been supported by current medicalresearch.Researchon the cardio-protective functionsofwalnutsandwalnutoilhasgreatlycontributed to open new markets to Valdostan producers. In the case of other heritage

11

products,however,medicalandnutritionalresearchmightcastanegativelightontheirimageandaffectnegativelytheirprospects.Finally,thecaseshowhowhygieneregulationsmayhinderheritageproducersfromturningtraditional know-how and skills into marketable offer. Possible negative impacts include:greater financial investments required to complywith norms; extended periods of time tounderstand requirements; risks of fines and other legal consequences; and changes toproductionmethodsinwaysthatdeviatefromtraditionandcanaffectproducttaste.Alltheseimpacts can severely affect entrepreneurialism in this field. Food heritage cannot generatesustainabledevelopment if thosewhoownvaluableheritageskillsanddesiretocreatenewbusinessarediscouragedfromdoingso.ReferencesAlpFoodway (2018), “Deliverable T2.1.1: Map of ICH Commercial Valorisation Practices”,available at: http://www.alpine-space.eu/projects/alpfoodway/en/project-results/downloads/wp2-marketing(accessedSeptember21,2019)http://www.intangiblesearch.eu/show_ich_detail.php?db_name=intangible_search&lingua=inglese&idk=ICH-AFRAF-0000001581(accessedSeptember21,2019)https://www.regione.vda.it/agricoltura/prodotti_tipici/tradizionali/default_i.asp (accessedSeptember21,2019)

http://www.dinusdonavit.com/(accessedSeptember21,2019)http://paci.iccd.beniculturali.it/iccd/cards/viewPaci/ICCD_MODI_4841105508541/MODI#(accessedSeptember21,2019)http://paci.iccd.beniculturali.it/iccd/webroot/img/modi/ICCD_MODI_4841105508541/530be593867a6fa6abdfd1bc8c0af12c.pdf(accessedSeptember21,2019)http://www.iaraosta.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Frutticoltura-Progetto-Noce.pdf(accessedSeptember21,2019).