“Do good and do it well”. This is the motto of the brand Ekuò by Murialdo Onlus, an organization producing the first wine which combines organic cultivation and solidarity, and whose profits are invested in social activities. The partner for this project is the Venetian winery Cielo e Terra, producer of the wines and supporter of the activity.
At Vinitaly 2014 the winery has presented to the public and operators its range of organic wine: a Chardonnay and a Merlot obtained from certified organic grapes. These special wines help support the association “Murialdo Onlus”, by the Congregation of st. Joseph, which strives to offer a respectable future based on legality to thousands of abandoned and disadvantaged young people, both in Italy and abroad every day. “With the project Ekuò we are committed to achieving a new model of social enterprise – Pierpaolo Cielo, marketing director, says – we are persuaded of the importance of promoting humanitarian projects which combine solidarity with a ‘modus operandi’ able to foster livelihood and social development. In short, we prefer, where possible, to teach how to fish, rather than give fish.”
The project Ekuò has a double purpose: not only does it make the company Cielo e Terra more visible, showing its logo on the label and on the promotional material, but it also has the wider aim, deeply connected with viniculture and winemaking, to put the company’s achievements to the service of humanitarian efforts. Cielo e Terra, promoting “social marketing”, stands out for its reputation, supporting a model of alternative, sustainable economy.
Organic wine Ekuò is part of a wider project, which includes the possibility of developing the brand into an independent business, a company whose only aim is to create social development through the direct and indirect management of commercial activities, such as shops, cinemas, bars, restaurants, and travel agencies. Cielo e Terra started its partnership with ENGIM International, an Italian NGO coordinated by Murialdo World Onlus, five years ago. Thanks to “Progetto Blu”, they have built 31 wells in Sierra Leone, providing more than 30 million litres of drinking water a year and offering a better quality of life to the people in those regions.