De Rica’s tomatoes, the historical Italian brand, owned by Generale Conserve since 2013, are the first products to be certified by the international certification program for sustainable agriculture. According to the organization, De Rica has demonstrated its compliance with all the Friend of the Earth’s requirements, having also selected suppliers producing only tomatoes from integrated farming.Friend of the Earth’s certification requirements are based on Fao’s Safa guidelines for sustainable agriculture and farming. Certified production sites cannot be developed on critical habitats and producers must have a social and environmental management system in place, be compliant with national environmental laws, conserve existing ecosystems and reduce their impacts to a sustainable level. Therefore, Friend of the Earth’s certification provides consumers with an important tool to lead reward and motivate those agriculture producers implementing sustainable practices. “Thanks to their wonderful flavour, tomatoes have been loved by consumers worldwide since long time ago. Consumers that buy De Rica can now appreciate its tomatoes not only as delicious products, but also for their sustainable origins and respect of the environment,” commented Mr. Vito Gulli, president of Generale Conserve. “Tomato sauce is an inseparable part of the Italian history and culture. It is extremely important that tomato agriculture maintains its harmony with the Italian environment. When consumers buy Friend of the Earth labelled De Rica products, they know they are supporting a sustainable future for the Country.” De Rica’s products are now displaying Friend of the Earth’s seal of approval, so that consumers can be informed that it is grown in a sustainable manner.
