Presenting the pasta created by Italian consumers and produced by Sgambaro

Available as of June 25th at Carrefour Italia stores throughout the whole country, is the good and fair pasta produced by Sgambaro and created according to the consumers’ wishes. This is the first Italian product coming from the ambitious goals of the movement “C’est qui le patron (Who’s the boss)?! The consumer’s brand, born in France in 2016 and now present in nine countries and on three continents, to support the local food industry and promote the fair sharing of income throughout the different supply chains.

The specifications of the “Italian Consumers Pasta” were drawn up and voted on collectively by 3,558 consumers:

• 100% Italian durum wheat, from sustainable agriculture
• shaped in bronze mould and slow dried at low temperature
• fair remuneration of producers
• green soul.

As Enzo Di Rosa, founder of Who’s the boss?! puts it: “On the one hand, there is the desire to promote local food, to guarantee a fair purchase price to farmers and breeders; on the other hand, the desire of consumers to have active participation in production and purchase dynamics, guaranteeing respect for certain social, ethical and environmental characteristics in the various supply chains involved. The aim is to have quality and safe food at the right price.”

Conscientious consumers to give food its real value.

C’est qui le patron?! La Marque du Consommateur was launched in France by Nicolas Chabanne at the peak of the milk crisis to sensitize public opinion on the need to give farmers the right purchase price, and in a short time it had 10,000 members. Help consumers enter “inside the product” – separating cost items and allowing everyone to know what goes on before food reaches our tables, including the associated issues – and to encourage them to take back their active role within the food supply chain which led to a basket of 30 products supporting 3,000 families of producers and purchased by over 14 million consumers. Collaboration in close contact with the various actors of the supply chain – from farmers to breeders to transformation companies, up to distributors – allows everyone to be invited to “build” the ideal product.

What are the characteristics of Consumers’  Pasta?

In Italy, the voice of the consumer is heard from the moment the first product to be included in the basket of Who’s the boss? is chosen: pasta, the icon of Italian gastronomy. 3,558 consumers filled out the detailed questionnaire. 88.2% of them chose to use durum wheat grown in Italy and 71% specified that it should come from sustainable agriculture, in order to avoid the exploitation of natural resources and to preserve public health. At the same time, 65.8% of the participants expressed the wish that 0.5 cents per package purchased should be earmarked for increasing the production capacity of organic farming. In strict compliance with the founding principles of Who’s the boss?!, 76.5% of consumers decided to pay producers a guaranteed fair price of 400 euros per tonne of wheat (+35% compared to the average market price), which would allow them to live serenely and invest in their own business.

For the production method, eight out of ten consumers chose bronze mould shaping, for a more porous pasta and therefore better able to retain the sauce, and slow drying at low temperature, between 60 and 80 degrees, which preserves the nutritional values of the raw materials. In contrast to industrial drying systems, which reach 115 degrees, this method requires longer processing times and therefore higher costs. However, it also guarantees pasta of higher quality and much better taste.

The carbon footprint of Consumers’ Pasta is low and it is produced with 100% green energy. The blue packaging (chosen by 50.2% of consumers) is nevertheless green, as it is made of recyclable paper using fibres from FCS-certified forests.

OK, the price is right!

The range currently extends to three products, spaghetti, penne and fusilli, available in 500 gram packs. Adding up the matching cost of each selection and comparing it with one’s shopping habits, consumers voted a recommended sales price of 1.07 euro/500g for quality, healthy, sustainable and fair priced pasta compared to all the other actors in the supply chain, and in particular for producers. And that’s not all: by earmarking 0.5 cents per package to people and families in precarious economical conditions, the Consumers Pasta also has an ethical goal.

 Sgambaro Pasta, the chosen partner.

The characteristics determined by the collective action of consumers led  Who’s the boss?! to choose our historical pasta factory in Veneto not only because we have proven to be able to meet the requirements of the Consumer Pasta, but also to fully share their values. For over 20 years we have been using only Italian durum wheat, from the certified CSQA supply chain, coming straight from farmers to our integrated mill inside the pasta factory. We have always processed the pasta in full respect for the raw material to preserve its nutritional properties. Finally, we have pledged to reduce the carbon footprint of our business by using green energy and endorsing initiatives to reduce and compensate CO2 emitted throughout the supply chain. “For us it’s a double satisfaction to have been involved in this project”, our Chairman, Pierantonio Sgambaro says: “On one hand with Who’s the boss?! we share the common goal of creating value in the Italian territory, and in particular for local farmers. On the other hand because we recognise some of our choices in terms of search for quality and attention for the environment in the pasta created by the consumers”.

Carrefour, the first company putting Consumer Pasta on its shelves.

As of June 25th, Carrefour is making the product available in hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience stores, both directly and through franchising, throughout the entire national territory. There is a special sign at the entrance to the shops guiding customers to the Consumer Pasta. “We’re proud to be the first company of the Large-Scale Retail Chain in Italy to take part in the project Who’s the boss?!, which we feel to be particularly close to our brand values and our strategy focused on food transition”, Roberto Simonetto, Sales director of Carrefour Italia tells us. “Indeed we believe this initiative is fully in line with our offer and business model, which valorise and promote quality and sustainable Italian supply chains, intended in environmental and social terms”.

Become a Consum’Actor yourself.

Everyone is free to participate in creating The consumer brand products by answering the questionnaires published on the movement’s website. Entering Who’s the boss?! as members (with a symbolical contribution of 2 euro) means becoming real  Consum’Actors: for example becoming spokespeople for the association at retail shops to tell other consumers about the products and giving your testimony, but also directly interacting with crop farmers, livestock farmers and companies which guarantee respect for the production protocols and product specifications. “Just like in France, members attend the meetings to select partners and audits at their sites”, Di Rosa explains.

The next products in the Who’s the Boss?! basket.

The process that led to the creation of Consumer Pasta took about seven months. Who’s the boss?! is already working on the questionnaires for the new products of The consumer’s brand. After pasta, the next product will be “Consumer’s Tomato Sauce”. Then milk, eggs, flour and oil will be added. New products chosen and selected among the first three products acclaimed by consumers on the C’est qui le patron website! The consumer’s brand: ingredients that can be found in every Italian home and that represent a good part of the Italian food tradition.