11-12-2019

Go-ahead for the Rouge Project: blockchain technology will guarantee the authenticity and integrity of IGP produce in Italy and around the world

Rome, December 11 2019 – Blood Oranges of Sicily IGP are now protected against counterfeiting thanks to blockchain technology, which guarantees the authenticity and integrity of the fruit in Italy and abroad. A hi-tech sticker contains information on the product’s origins and characteristics, facilitates customs procedures and monitors the condition and the temperature of the oranges during transport to ensure the excellent quality of the fruit anywhere.

R.O.U.G.E. “Red Orange Upgrading Green Economy” is a project initiated by the Consorzio di Tutela dell’Arancia Rossa di Sicilia IGP (Blood Oranges of Sicily IGP Protection Consortium) applied to the 2019/2020 crop. It provides smart traceability solutions thanks to an ad hoc digital platform, designed and created by AlmavivA and based on blockchain technology, Agriculture 4.0 models and Green Economy principles for the protection of producers and consumers.

The project is being presented today at the “Rouge, l'Arancia Rossa di Sicilia IGP diventa 'Smart'” (Rouge – Blood Oranges of Sicily IGP get smart) conference, organized by the Blood Oranges of Sicily IGP Protection Consortium and sponsored by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (MIPAAF). The event will take place in the Sala Cavour at MIPAAF.

“These oranges are a jewel in the crown of Made in Italy produce. Over 50% of the total national output comes from Sicily: in 2018, the figure amounted to roughly 1,000,000 tons out of a national total of 1,622,000 tons. Counterfeiting and fraud are damaging to the consumer and cause losses for producers. The platform was created to protect Blood Oranges of Sicily IGP and the global exportation of this unique product, which this year also reached the Chinese market,” said Giovanni Selvaggi, President of the Blood Oranges of Sicily IGP Protection Consortium.

The main benefits delivered by Rouge are improved control operations, leading also to improved protection of the designation and of the fight against counterfeiting, simplified bureaucratic procedures and the reduction of paper documents, reduced data imputation errors, industry oversight by the Administration and the opportunity to implement promotional strategies for Blood Oranges of Sicily IGP on domestic and international markets.

"With a TAG/NFC sticker affixed to the fruit crates and sophisticated sensors that check transport conditions such as humidity and temperature, the App allows the user to monitor the field of production via the geolocation system of publicly available maps, the date of harvest and the storage and distribution methods used,” said Fulvio Conti, Head of Agriculture and Environment Practice at AlmavivA. “The consumer can trace the entire history of each pack of Blood Oranges of Sicily through their own smartphone”.

The hi-tech sticker connected to the blockchain system guarantees the certain identification of data, based on information from the public administration and from the companies linked to the Consortium. The Project in fact combines the expertise of a variety of bodies: CREA, which collects and processes production data; the University of Catania, which develops economic models using data collected in the field to support production decisions; the Consortium and partners who track the production stages and AlmavivA, as a technological partner.

Rouge also provides support for exportation, assisted by the mass retailers involved in the chain. The certification provided by the latter becomes a guarantor of the product, so it becomes possible to simplify and streamline administrative tasks, thereby standardizing control methods and reducing the time and cost of the entire customs clearance process.