The red gold of Parma

The tomato supply chain: a precious treasure in the heart of the Food Valley of Parma

In the 1500s, the ships of the Spanish Conquistadors returning to Europe from the Americas brought small yellowish vegetables called tomatoes.

Over the intervening centuries, tomatoes came to play a central role in the diet of Italians, thanks also to their great versatility in cooking.

Today, about 50% of all Italian tomatoes are cultivated and processed in our Food Valley and come from certified “open air” farming areas.

The success of the tomato industry in Parma was due to an agronomist, Carlo Rognoni, who in the second half of the 19th century began tomato farming and disseminated the secrets of its cultivation. What’s more, nothing would have been possible without the ingenuity of the farmers, who worked out innovative solutions on how to preserve the product throughout the year.

This is how the first rudimentary preserves technologies were born and the "pioneers" of the nascent industry emerged: Mutti, Pagani, Rodolfi, Pezziol and others, who established true dynasties of tomato preserves entrepreneurs.

Today, Parma exports its “Red Gold" and related processing technology worldwide and has the largest tomato supply chain in Italy.

The leading companies in the Parma Food Valley are still Mutti and Rodolfi, whose enduring commitment to quality products brings the best tomato preserves to tables around the world.