Founded in 1978, Alce Nero is the brand name grouping over 1,000 organic farmers and beekeepers committed to producing delicious, healthy and nutritious food in Italy and around the world. Alce Nero’s organic products spring from an agriculture that acts as the earth’s caretaker, respecting all of its components be they vegetable, animal or human. Alce Nero farmers stand out because they use no chemical substances like pesticides or herbicides; they pick the best-suited terrain; they use production methods that highlight the organoleptic and nutritional properties of their foods. The heart of the brand is the knowledge of its farmers, a precious heritage that is reflected in each and every ingredient, from tomatoes naturally riche in lycopenes to long-stemmed Senatore Cappelli wheat to extra virgin olive oil. Alce Nero sells around 300 items in 30 countries worldwide, in Europe, Asia and America and on its online shop www.alceneroshop.com. Sales outside Italy rose 37.8% despite the drop in Russia – which until 2014 was the company’s third largest market. Among the 30 markets where Alce Nero brands are sold, the best results come from Japan, China, Singapore and Poland.
ALCE NERO’S MISSION TODAY – We are farmers and transformers, the company says. Together we grow, harvest, produce and propose real food for our customers. The raw materials in our products, which are free of chemical residues, are obtained with organic methods and transformed with technologies that protect the organoleptic and nutritional integrity. Alce Nero’s nearly 300 organic products are simple and made to be used every day: pasta, rice, tomato paste and pulp, vegetables, legumes and purees, shortbreads and fruit juices, jams and honeys, vegetable drinks, and a baby line totally dedicated to newborns.
NEW HORIZONS – The Alce Nero Group posted revenue of €65 million in 2015, posting its tenth consecutive year of growth. The Alce Nero brand is the driver of this growth, with its €51.5 million in sales (up 41.4% compared to the previous year) means it accounts for 80% of the group’s total sales.
Ten years of consecutive growth demonstrates not only the solid foundations of an entrepreneurial project based on the values of farming that respects the environment and regional identity, but also the obvious confirmation that organic food is an important growth prospect for agriculture and nutrition of the future. On the East and West Coasts of the United States the word “organic” has been a mantra for some time, while René Redzepi –who has topped a well-known ranking dedicated to the world’s top restaurants for years – has long been preaching the gospel of sustainability and raw ingredients, organizing projects built around farmers who cultivate the earth in a circular economy that can be summed up by the statement “Good cooking and a healthy environment can and should go hand in hand”.