Sustainability at ORO di Parma

Did you know that we give our favorite vegetable enough time to ripen naturally? That’s the only way the tomato can develop its full flavor. It’s pleasantly intense, making it a natural flavor enhancer. After harvest, the tomatoes are processed immediately to preserve their nutrients. This ensures that their healthy component, lycopene, is particularly well preserved. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant and acts as a free radical scavenger. There is evidence that lycopene is good for your cardiovascular system. What else is in them? Many important nutrients. These include vitamins B1, B2, C, and E, niacin, phytochemicals, and minerals—especially potassium. The remaining 95% is water.

A lot has to happen before the red, fruity, and juicy Parma tomatoes used in our delicious ORO di Parma products end up on your table. That’s because ORO di Parma tomato paste, strained tomatoes, and sughi all start as tiny seedlings that first grow under protection in nurseries and then out in the open in the fields. And that takes a loooong time. That’s what gives them their full flavor.

More and more tomatoes are coming from China. They are grown, harvested, and processed there, then transported to Europe, where they are packaged or further processed. This drives down prices and, unfortunately, not only results in precarious working conditions for harvest workers and factory workers but also leaves a catastrophically large carbon footprint. The problem: There is no mandatory labeling requirement for the origin of raw materials in canned or processed foods sold in Germany. 

However, all ORO di Parma products live up to their name: The tomatoes come from Italy, grow there under the Italian sun, and are processed right on site into delicious tomato products—we promise. And because Italy already has a law requiring labeling for Italian tomato products, we’re following suit with this transparency and also indicate on ORO di Parma product packaging where the raw ingredients were grown and processed.

We’ve already told you that ORO di Parma’s tomato products are made from 100% Italian tomatoes. Here are five quick facts that make our products and work particularly sustainable:

1. Tomato cultivation has been a tradition in northern Italy for centuries—we build on this legacy and benefit from the fantastic expertise and skill of our loyal contract farmers in northern Italy. Because quality is our top priority. And:
2. In doing so, we also ensure good working conditions and fair prices in the region and take a stand against price dumping, such as that seen in China.
3. Water and water scarcity are major problems around the world—we’re well aware of that. Because we use our resources sparingly, we only water the tomato plants when it’s truly necessary, and even then, we do so very precisely using drip irrigation. We also pay close attention to the water cycle in our factories: there, we reuse the water multiple times. After the tomatoes have been washed with it, the water is treated and returned to the production cycle for our tomatoes.
4. We also reject long transport routes and unnecessary CO2 emissions. That’s why we limit our supply chains to the smallest possible radius and transport our products to Germany by train in a climate-friendly manner.
5. Waste is also a huge issue in our world—which makes taking responsibility for waste all the more important. For our packaging, we have deliberately chosen partners who are constantly working on innovative and sustainable packaging solutions and who use the raw materials in their packaging responsibly. That’s why we’re very proud of our ever-increasing share of recyclable packaging.

Reuse, Refuse, Reduce, Rethink, Recycle—these are the 5 Rs of sustainability that we constantly keep in mind when it comes to our ORO di Parma products. Treating our resources—and everyone involved in production—with care is important to us. Today and always. 

That’s why our tomatoes have always come from the Parma region. That’s why we maintain close ties with local farmers right here in Italy. And that’s why we’re proud of our recyclable packaging. Today and tomorrow.