Our Tomato SAUCE Project has been a platform for us to authentically showcase the tomato processing supply chain of Northern Italy through articles and social media. Now, we’re excited to bring this authenticity to the world of filmmaking with our documentary series, Truemato.
The need to tell the truth about the tomato processing industry in Northern Italy initially motivated us to start the Tomato SAUCE Project. This project aims to publish trustworthy information on the industry, highlighting its positive efforts and milestones towards more sustainable production and processing of tomatoes. This is the reason for the existence of this website, these blog articles, and the social media posts we publish weekly. But there was also a saucier idea cooking in our kitchen: filming a documentary to showcase the reality of our supply chain through the visual art form. That’s why we’re proud to present Truemato, a series of five short documentaries about the pillars of our mission and our commitment to more sustainable and healthier products.
Behind the scenes
Our filming production started with a research phase, during which we discussed the storytelling we would work on and how to find the best way to convey it through places, people, and visual imagery. It took us about two months of filming, traveling from location to location, and following a road-movie-style itinerary. The locations we shot span the whole Emilia-Romagna region, from East to West, covering the areas of Parma, Piacenza, Ferrara, and the Delta del Po’ Natural Park. It was a chance to revisit and portray a stunning but sometimes overlooked area of Italy. In the provinces of Parma and Piacenza, we explored integrated production, water footprint, and the tomato processing phase. Our filming in the province of Ferrara and the Delta del Po’ Natural Park focused on the topics of organic farming and social responsibility. Did you know this is Europe’s largest area for the cultivation of organic tomatoes?
The fantastic five
From farming to social responsibility – each video documents how our supply chain is making a positive impact on more sustainable agriculture and processing methodologies. Let’s see together what it’s all about:
Episode 1: Introduction to a Sustainable Holistic Approach tells you what sustainability means for our supply chain and how we’re committed to protecting the environment, fostering social responsibility, and ensuring a healthy work environment where farmers and processing companies can grow and collaborate.
Episode 2: Integrated and Organic Farming takes us to the fields to learn more about integrated and organic farming, the two main production methods in the OI Pomodoro del Nord Italia’s supply chain. These methods contribute to a healthier land and more sustainable products, and they also shine a positive light in the eyes of final consumers.
The important topic of CO2 emissions is at the core of Episode 3: Carbon Footprint, where we discover how OI Pomodoro del Nord Italia was one of the first supply chains in Europe to calculate its carbon footprint, from farming to packaging. The use of renewable energy sources along with new processing techniques are just some ways to decrease carbon footprint.
And what about water consumption? In the episode TRUEMATO EP.4: Water Footprint, our collaborators show us modern irrigation techniques to increase efficiency and avoid unnecessary water waste. Monitoring probes and satellite systems ensure precise awareness of how much water the soil and plants need.
TRUEMATO EP.5: Social responsibility is the last (but not least) episode of our series, which focuses on fairness and contractual equity among all the supply chain’s stakeholders. Mechanization throughout the production cycle improves working and safety conditions and doesn’t allow space for issues such as illegal seasonal employment.
As part of our project to show the reality of Northern Italy’s tomato processing supply chain, witnessing and filming the everyday work and efforts of OI Pomodoro del Nord Italia’s collaborators has been invaluable. All operators along the different production phases are very sensitive to sustainability issues. Although adhering to certain production specifications involves a lot more effort, processing, and costs than conventional methods, they are aware of making a higher-quality product. Without a doubt, protecting the health of the consumer and safeguarding the environment and the soil are what makes our supply chain sustainable at the core.
Watch the full documentary series
