TV and digital appearances and the involvement of chefs for a new consumer identity

‘One fruit, many segments’: the Emilia Romagna PGI pear is being promoted in a new guise to broaden its consumer target, because it is a ‘perfect gourmet fruit’. This was discussed on Tuesday 2 December in Bologna, in the presence of the entire regional association and the chefs involved in the initiative.

Giuliano Donati, president of the IGP Consortium, stressed that ‘we have a duty to ensure that consumers comply with protocols and to promote communication. We must value our supply chain, without forgetting the problems of recent years, which have seen an uphill struggle. But today I want to send a positive message to consolidate the sector, given that demand for Emilia Romagna IGP pears is growing’.

Adriano Aldrovandi, president of Unapera (a producers’ association founded in 2021), recalled the aim: commercial promotion, research and marketing. ‘We are supported by two pillars: the PGI and Unapera, which is an association of producer organisations. We have internalised all functions and therefore operate with our own resources. We are a fine example in the agricultural world of working as a system.’

Alberto Garbuglia, from the Unapera steering committee, said that ‘thanks to this collaboration, more accurate technical and varietal research can be carried out to renew a supply chain that has remained static for too many years. We are working to make the fruit increasingly distinguishable for consumers, leveraging the PGI’.

This is a creative challenge for the chefs who have been called upon to contribute to a project (the perfect gourmet fruit) promoted and supported by the Ministry of Agricultural Policies. Six chefs are involved, creating 12 gourmet recipes.

Paolo Bruni, president of the CSO, recalled how the idea for Unapera came about on 8 July 2020: “A project involving the entire industry (with public-private collaboration) is unprecedented in other fruit and vegetable sectors. Despite the decline in recent years, pears are still the most widely grown fruit in Emilia Romagna, accounting for around 30% of all regional fruit. Pears are by no means finished, but have simply been scaled back. Today, however, we have a unique organisation.”

Manuel Manfredi (from the Unapera steering committee) stated that “pears in Emilia Romagna account for 60% of national pear production. In seven years, 8,000 hectares have been lost in the region. Imports from abroad have increased, exceeding 120,000 tonnes, up 40% on the previous period. There is no reciprocity: we cannot use many active ingredients, while abroad they have fewer restrictions and we buy their pears. However, we are investing in research into resilient plants with resistant varieties and, in the medium term, we intend to increase the area under cultivation.”

According to data presented in collaboration with the CSO, pear production in Italy is experiencing a period of profound crisis: average production has halved, falling from 728,000 tonnes in the period 2015-2018 to 365,000 tonnes in the period 2019-2025. In this context, Emilia-Romagna, which has always been the production centre par excellence for this fruit, has gone from 494,000 tonnes to 226,000, a drop of 54%. Ten years ago, it accounted for 67% of Italy’s total production, but today its share has fallen to 61%.

There has also been a significant reduction in cultivated areas. While in Italy, between 2018 and 2025, the area has decreased from 30,000 to 19,600 hectares, in Emilia-Romagna there has been a reduction from 18,300 to 10,500 hectares, for a production potential of 300,000 tonnes. At the same time, there has been an increase in imports from foreign countries, which now exceed 120,000 tonnes. It is therefore becoming increasingly strategic to promote the fruit through PGI certification: since 2016/2017, PGI-certified hectares have increased from 700 to around 3,600, with a marketing potential of 90,000 tonnes and a doubling of the quantities marketed in 2025/26 compared to the previous season.

Claudia Iannarella, Valfrutta Fresco marketing manager , described who pear consumers are. “Consumption frequency increases with age. Adults mostly eat them after meals, while young people eat them at breakfast or as a snack. The age group that consumes the most pears is over 55. However, consumption among children is growing. For 13% of the sample, pears are their favourite fruit. The aim of marketing campaigns is to stimulate younger consumers, focusing on a balanced diet and targeting breakfast or snack times.” All this is based on NielsenIQ research conducted for Alegra.

Luca Pagliacci, marketing manager, began with a quote: “No one today, except the Royal Mint, can make money without advertising”. We need to move pears from being a secondary fruit to a primary fruit (hedonistic, healthy, satisfying). We have two targets: we want to stimulate younger consumers and, on the other hand, the horeca channel. We have created a short, 15-second studio commercial that is striking and attracts attention. It is being broadcast on television and social media. The slogan is “Grown where taste has its roots”, but the images focus on types of consumption, not fields or farmers. Another commercial (brand video) also features fields.

Another advert features Paolo Bonolis and Luca Laurenti (Channel 5, 14 slots in the early evening slot on their programme). Yet another advert will be included in the Rai1 programme Affari Tuoi. In general, the promotional campaign on all channels will run until February. These projects need time and continuity, over several years. I would like to thank the team and the whole group, but above all the heroes of this match, namely the producers, because they put a lot of passion into it despite all the difficulties.

The regional councillor of Emilia Romagna, Alessio Mammi, praised the work done so far and guaranteed the support of the Region. “It’s a winning bet because it’s a well-balanced and diversified campaign. It targets different audiences. For me, too, the producers are heroes, and my first thought goes to them. I want to thank them because they persevered and believed in it, a concrete example of the tenacity that characterises our land. We must reverse the trend of declining fruit and vegetable consumption. We need more food education.

The chefs involved are: Michele Bacilieri from Cucina Bacilieri (Ferrara), Tommaso Zoboli from Patrizia (Modena), Jacopo Ticchi from Da Lucio (Rimini), Stefano Guizzetti from Ciacco Lab (Parma and Milan), from Federico Zappalà of 142 Restaurant to Salvatore Amato of I Conoscenti, supported by Mattia Tubita, a series of unique and highly spectacular creations, for a taste map that touches on some of the most renowned production areas of the Emilia Romagna PGI Pear.

Supporting the project is a dedicated section of the Consortium’s website, enriched with video stories about the chefs involved and a complete recipe book, as well as a national, multi-channel communication campaign on the main industry portals and magazines, starting in December.

For more information: https://peradellemiliaromagnaigp.it/

Publication date: Wed 3 Dec 2025
© FreshPlaza.it / Cristiano Riciputi