At the heart of the Italian PDO economy lies a player that has been supporting supply chains, regions, and businesses in building trust for over thirty years: CSQA, a publicly controlled certification body that today represents one of the strongest pillars of the national agri-food system. Leading the organization is Maria Chiara Ferrarese, general manager and CEO , who starts from a factor she calls "genetic": the presence, as a majority shareholder, of a public administration. This element gives the company a specific mission: to promote products and producers that represent Made in Italy and the regions where they originate.
Ferrarese recalls that CSQA was founded when "no one was certifying agri-food products" and when the very idea of quality in the food industry was considered almost superfluous. Focusing on certification, while forgoing consultancy, was a visionary gamble for current President Pietro Bonato, and a decisive one today: "Being a system player means taking on a huge responsibility. The world expects us not only to guarantee compliance, but also to innovate, anticipate, and improve." This approach has made CSQA a player perceived as competent, independent, and capable of operating as an infrastructure for the sector.
The ISMEA – Qualivita Report lists nearly 900 registered products, a production value of €21 billion, and approximately 900,000 employees involved in the supply chains.
«Geographical Indications are not a brand: they are an economic model and at the same time an exportable photograph of our country», observes Ferrarese , underlining how their weight – 19 percent of the total value of agri-food production – generates direct benefits on territories, communities, employment and tourism .
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Source: Il Riformista.it