The PGI

The Consortium for the Protection of ‘Radicchio di Chioggia Igp’ was established in November 2009 following the recognition by the European Union of the Protected Geographical Indication for Chioggia radicchio (published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 14 november 2008), in order to protect and promote the IGP name of ‘Radicchio di Chioggia’ with adequate initiatives to promote and inform the consumer, which could spread the consumption and knowledge, in Italy and abroad, and ensure its commercial exploitation. In 2016, the Consortium also obtained recognition from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry as the official supervisory and protection authority for ‘Radicchio di Chioggia’.

See the updated production specification

The Consortium functions

  • To guarantee and distinguish Radicchio di Chioggia Igp by virtue of implemented control by the appointed and authorized bodies – in the phases of production and processing, even with the possible affixing of seals/markings, according to the current community regulations, both national and regional.

  • To ensure the correct use of the name ‘Radicchio di Chioggia Igp’, as well as on the use of its trademark, seal, stamp, mark, and eventually report to the competent bodies any anomaly so that they can prevent and repress any illicit or irregular use of the same, as well as any act of unfair competition inherent to the production and trade of the protected product.

  • Promote, encourage, organize and participate in initiatives of any kind intended to enhance the ‘Radicchio di Chioggia Igp’ and to increase its resonance in Italy and abroad, by joining organizations with similar or complementary purposes whose achievement should be in any case considered useful for the aims of the Consortium.

  • Organize, promote and sponsor conferences, meetings and scientific or informative events of the product and also to finance scientific research in the food field as long as they are relevant to the subject, carried out by public and/or private bodies.

  • Take any initiative and carry out any activity useful for the achievement of the indicated aims or having any relevance to them.

The performed activities

To be round and red is not enough to be the real ‘Radicchio di Chioggia IGP’

More than half of the produced ‘radicchio’ of all Italy comes from the Veneto region, the Chioggia one is first for cultivated area and production quantity, while all over the world there are widespread attempts at imitation.
One of the commitments carried out with the greatest determination by the Consortium was precisely to distinguish the authentic ‘Radicchio di Chioggia’ – whose production is subject to strict disciplinary rules authorizes cultivation only in the ten municipalities of the production area, with the commitment of autochthonous seed handed down and guarded by the families of gardeners – from productions obtained from hybrid seed.

Projects and partnerships

The Consortium for the protection of Chioggia IGP Radicchio has supported the companies and supply chains of production and distribution coordinating them where fundamental role was the communication and enhancement of the product.
He has collaborated and collaborates with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for informative projects and dissemination with other Consortia, as well as on calls for the Rural Development Program of the Veneto Region and in the European ones together with other Veneto and Emilia-Romagna Consortia with French, Spanish and German Consortia, with Local Authorities, Gal and the Territorial Development Consortia.
It also promoted twinning with the Consortium of Protection of Pachino Tomato PGI, while with the Producers' Organizations of territory, all the actions and activities of the Consortium were shared, being its members.
Moreover they share their purposes also by sitting with them at important programming tables such as that of the Radicchio Committee of the Interprofessional Organization and the technical regional one to define together with other subjects the economic and research policies of experimentation and development of the fruit and vegetable sector.
Furthermore, synergies were found with the fishing, tourism, trade and crafts organizations and also with the local Pro Locos operating in the area of production of Radicchio di Chioggia PGI.

Marketing, promotes the territory

The communication and promotion campaigns carried out by the protection consortium in these years have allowed the area, extending from the southern lagoon of Venice to the Basso polesine, which is the production area of the Radicchio di Chioggia PGI, to have an extra opportunity to be valued. The work of promoting the product, in fact, has also highlighted the characteristics of the land in which it is cultivated, as a whole those peculiarities (geographical, historical, artistic, landscape, etc.) that make the area unique and unrepeatable. A recent project, whose construction is still in progress, concerns the creation of the “Guide to the itineraries of the Red Prince”: there are seven routes within the IGP area aimed at developing cycle tourism and slow tourism in general to promote knowledge of the production area and implement the local tourist offer.

Communication and promotion tools

International and national fairs

  • Since 2003, the participation in Fruit Logistica in Berlin has been constant: an exhibition which has long consolidated its reputation as the leading European showcase of fruit and vegetables and a world leader in international trade in the sector.

  • Participation in the Macfrut in Rimini, the international fruit and vegetable fair that yearly attracts over 1,100 companies of the sector, where one out of four exhibitors arrived from across the border and over 1,200 international buyers are invited for this important happening.

  • Many participations in events involving fairs and other performances: from Fruit Innovation in Milan to the Campionaria, from “Stili e Sapori” in Padua and Venice at Fiera Cavalli but also Vinitaly in Verona, Caseus Veneti, “Tastes and territory” in Piazzola sul Brenta and the itinerant Veneto DOP Festival.

Initiatives organized by the Consortium

  • Educational Tour Press

  • Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, in Finland

  • Themed food and wine evenings in restaurants and collaborations with schools hotels in Chioggia and Abano Terme

Participation in broadcasts television

  • Uno Mattina

  • Linea Verde

  • Master Chef

The communication

  • Conferences and press releases

  • Creation of promoting and informative materials

  • Relations with the media, sector newspapers

  • Social-network

  • Conferences, round tables and workshops

Organization chart of the consortium

President:
Giuseppe Boscolo Palo

Vice president:
Mattia Perini

Board of Directors:
Vittorio Agostini, Emanuele Baldin, Roberto Boscolo Bachetto, Michele Boscolo Nale, Claudio Ferro, Patrizio Garbin, Roberto Pavan

The president of the Consortium for the protection of ‘Radicchio di Chioggia’ IGP, Giuseppe Boscolo Palo