Italy: Tutto Bio 2015 launched

The 21st edition of Tutto Bio by Bio Bank has been launched. The annual guide of organics in Italy, edited by Achille Mingozzi e Rosa Maria Bertino, is published by Egaf Edizioni. It costs 16 euros and is available in Italy through the libraries La Feltrinelli, Librerie.coop, organic shops, or via the main online book stores like ibs.it.  On 352 pages, 14 stories of people that have decided to change their lives by choosing organics are featured, as well as 10,900 addresses for organics to purchase for domestic use and for catering are featured. The data of the 10,900 organic operators in Italy is organized in seven sections:

Introduction: 37 fairs, 130 associations
Direct sales: 29 offering groups, 2,903 companies, 221 farmers’ markets, 891 buying groups
Sales points: 1,348 stores, 13 supermarkets, 241 online shops
Catering: 1,553 agriturisms (holiday farms), 406 restaurants & co
Food: 11 control bodies, 74 companies, 105 fair trade companies
Cosmetics and cleaners: 10 control bodies, 250 companies, 105 perfume shops, 104 online shops
Children: 13 catering companies, 1,248 school canteens, 643 educational farms

This year’s subject is “Me? I take off for organics”. Martina has given up her job to cultivate the land of her grandparents, becoming apiculturist in Parma. Osvaldo has returned to Calabria for opening an online shop for citrus fruit, and Anne and Caspar have left Holland for cultivating saffron in the hills of Marche. These are examples of the 14 stories that are told in Tutto Bio 2015. The Bio Bank Card is also available in the book: a discount of 10% is offered at 581 operators like restaurants, agriturisms, direct sales, stores and perfume shops.

Bio Bank is the Italian organic data bank. It was launched in 1993 and has been updated every year, thanks to the cooperation of thousands of operators. Bio Bank observes the development of the sector, documents the changes, and elaborates and publishes Bio Bank statistics. Further information on organics in Italy including articles, pictures and videos are featured at http://www.biobank.it/, as well as on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+ and Youtube.