One New Farmer, Double the Harvest: An Italian Celery Consortium's Lesson for Bulgarian Craft Food

Production of Sedano Nero di Trevi doubled in a single year. Not through industrial scaling, not through new technology, but because one more farmer joined a consortium.

The numbers arrived during a public event at the Orti delle Canapine in Umbria, where visitors watched agronomist Alvaro Paggi demonstrate the blanching techniques that give this black celery its distinctive crunch. According to Corriere dell'Economia's report, the Consortium of Protection, formed just a year ago, has already transformed what was once a fragmented local crop into a coordinated regional product with national ambitions.

The question that matters for anyone watching craft food movements in Eastern Europe: could this model work elsewhere?

The Bulgarian Parallel Nobody Is Drawing

Bulgaria has its own protected designations. Shopska salata, Strandzha honey, Smilyan beans. The EU's PDO and PGI frameworks exist here too. But walk through any farmer's market in Sofia and you'll notice something: producers operate in isolation. Each sells their own version, with their own story, competing for the same small pool of customers who care about provenance.

The Italian model suggests a different path. As Annibale Bartolomei, vice-president of the Sedano Nero Consortium, explained to Corriere dell'Economia:

Annibale Bartolomei

The entry of a new producer allowed us to double volumes. The goal now is to expand the presence of Sedano Nero di Trevi to neighbouring municipalities and national markets.

Growth came from adding members, not from each member producing more. The consortium standardises production methods, protects the name legally, and coordinates marketing so that one farmer's success doesn't come at another's expense.

Tied Stalks, Wrapped in Cloth, Resistant to Imitation

The blanching process for Sedano Nero involves two traditional methods: legatura (tying the stalks together) and incartamento (wrapping them in paper or cloth). These techniques, performed in the specific microclimate of the Clitunno river valley, produce a vegetable that cannot be replicated elsewhere. The taste and texture are tied to place.

This is terroir, and it's defensible. A product that can only be made properly in one location using specific methods becomes resistant to industrial competition. A factory cannot undercut you if the factory cannot make what you make.

The Slow Food Presidium designation that Sedano Nero carries adds another layer of protection. It signals to consumers that this isn't just marketing, but a verified commitment to traditional production.

Pasta, Pesto, Liqueur: The Seasonal Problem Solved

A seasonal vegetable presents an obvious problem: income stops when harvest ends. The Sedano Nero Consortium addressed this by developing processed products. Pasta, pesto, beer, and a liqueur called Sedanino now carry the celery's flavour through the year.

For Bulgarian producers, this approach deserves attention. Rhodope honey, for instance, appears at markets for a few months, then vanishes. What if a consortium of beekeepers developed honey-based products, coordinated their marketing, and maintained year-round presence in shops and restaurants?

The infrastructure exists. The legal frameworks exist. What's missing is the organisational will to move from competition to cooperation.

Сезонното изобилие не е бизнес стратегия - постоянството на пазара е.

The Farmer's Snack That Builds Trust

The event at Orti delle Canapine wasn't a sales pitch. Visitors walked through orchards watered by the Clitunno, watched production techniques demonstrated, and sat down together for the Merenda del contadino, a farmer's snack featuring spalletta di maiale, pecorino from Coste di Trevi, panzanella, and Trebbiano Spoletino wine.

This is storytelling that builds trust. People who experience where food comes from become invested in its survival. They pay more willingly. They return. They tell others.

Sofia's craft food scene has the ingredients for similar events. The Saturday market at Zhenski Pazar, the small producers scattered across the Rhodopes and Strandzha, the growing interest among expats and locals alike in knowing where things come from. What's lacking is coordination.

Protection, Standards, Collective Voice

The Sedano Nero Consortium works because it does three things simultaneously: it protects the product legally, it standardises quality so that the name means something consistent, and it markets collectively so that small producers can reach markets they couldn't access alone.

None of this requires abandoning tradition. The blanching techniques remain unchanged. The growing region remains limited. The season remains defined. What changes is the business structure around the product.

For Bulgarian artisan food, the question isn't whether heritage products deserve protection. It's whether producers can organise around them before the opportunity passes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a food consortium and how does it differ from a cooperative?

A: A consortium of protection (consorzio di tutela) is a legal body that standardises production methods, protects a product's name from imitation, and coordinates marketing for all members. Unlike a cooperative, which typically pools resources for purchasing or sales, a consortium focuses on quality control and brand protection while members remain independent producers.

Q: Does Bulgaria have protected food designations like Italy's PDO system?

A: Yes. Bulgaria participates in the EU's Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) frameworks. Products like Strandzha honey and Smilyan beans carry these designations, though collective marketing and consortium structures remain underdeveloped compared to Italian models.

Q: How did Sedano Nero di Trevi double production in one year?

A: According to the Consortium's vice-president Annibale Bartolomei, production doubled because a new producer joined the consortium, not because existing members increased their output. The model demonstrates that collective organisation can scale heritage food production without industrialising methods.