The EU initiative ADAPT


National Park of the
Cilento and Vallo di Diano

Since 1993, the WWF-Italy, with the Cadispa program, is following the activities of a cooperative of 150 producers in the new-born National Park of the Cilento and Vallo di Diano, for this cooperative takes a special care of the impacts on the agricultural-ecological system of the olive-growths. The members of the cooperative "Nuovo Cilento" (in the municipality of San Mauro Cilento) have actually been the first producers in the Cilento region to implement the integral control against the pest of the olive trees (Bactrocera olea). With the help of the WWF, this cooperative, after it started the production of organic olive oil, sold its organic extra-virgin olive oil on the Panda catalogues of the WWF-Switzerland, Europe and Japan with remarkable economical benefits at a local level. Therefore, a new interest in the production of olives in the Cilento region started together with an unpredictable multiplying effect which involved a growing number of olive oil producers, and, within a few years, the production of organic extra-virgin olive oil passed from a few towns to some hundreds of tons, which is one of the biggest productions of certified organic olive oil in Italy. The Adapt program could consolidate its results and spread them in other production areas and to other producers in the Park.

 

 

 

Description of
the intervention
The intervention was therefore addressed to 15 farmers, producers and oil-millers working in the area of the Park, selected by a committee. The 200 hours were divided into 110 hours in the classroom and 90 hours of practical training. The course developed training modules on: tree nurseries, agronomy, organic farming, processing, oil chemistry, organoleptic values, tasting techniques, commercialization and marketing with a specially selected and qualified group of teachers, involving research institutes, high quality teachers and companies at a national and international level. The practical sessions were held in oil producing, processing and commercialization farms selected in the most important olive-growing areas in Italy: the CORIPROL tree-nursery of Pescia (province of Pistoia); the Institute for Olive-growing Researches (Istituto per le Ricerche in Olivicoltura) of the CNR (National Research Committee) of Perugia; the area of Canino (province of Viterbo), an implementation site for the researches of the ENEA (National Institute for Alternative Energies) Innovation Department, Biotechnologies and Ecocompatible Agriculture Division by the CRE of Casaccia (Rome); olive-growing farms of the Sezione Operativa No. 81 (Trapani) of the Aldermanship of Agriculture of the Regional Council of Sicily; the Maip-Piera-lisi; the Alfa-Laval; the Co-operative Nuovo Cilento and the Sala di Assaggio (oil-tasting room) by the CCIAA of Salerno.

 

Cilento N.P. : olive tree

Results
The results obtained and the level of know-how reached by the trainees were satisfactory, due to the bottom-up methodology which was focused on the motivations and expectations of the entrepreneurs involved in the training process. All the lectures were attended by all the trainees. The subjects treated at a theoretical level were always verified either with practical applications on the field or in a processing factory or in an oil-tasting structure. The sequence of the courses was articulated like the training modules and many courses were organized in some farms or factories where it was possible to verify directly the most critical points highlighted by the lecturers during the theory courses. The course meticulously treated all the possible situations, from the olive-grove agricultural-ecological system to the extra-virgin olive oil and to the market access. In this way, the problems of the olive tree nursery, the good agronomical practices, the techniques for the integrated pest control and for organic farming became part of all the participants’ background during the course.
The participants created an association, "L’Orciolo", the aim of which is to spread the techniques of ecocompatible production in the National Park of the Cilento-Vallo di Diano. In this context, a set of regulations was established and distributed to all the olive producers in the Park.

 

Set of regulation for ADAPT initiative

Proposes in the ADAPT comunities initiatives

Introduction
tourist offer
Aromatic and medicinal plants
Innovative and sustainable olive-growing
Green tourism operator
The historical centers in the park
Green tourism operators
Tourist operator in the widespread hospitality project
The WWF-CRAS

The EU initiative ADAPT - Innovative and sustainable olive growing ADAPT - Medicinal plants ADAPT - Green tourism operator