CASETTA ROSSA Solidarity Purchase Group / Gruppo di Acquisto Solidale (GAS) Casetta Rossa
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AgroBRIDGES Good Practice Recording Template |
| SFSC Name: CASETTA ROSSA Solidarity Purchase Group / Gruppo di Acquisto Solidale (GAS) Casetta Rossa | |
| Author(s) | Andrés Peñalosa |
| Insert photo or any visual image or diagram e.g. /Word or Image Collage | |
| Choose a primary theme that the Good Practice adheres to (three themes can be considered: | Mutual benefits between primary producers and consumers |
| If relevant choose a secondary theme that the Good Practice adheres to | Education and awareness raising practices |
| If relevant choose a tertiary theme that the Good Practice adheres to | |
| EIP Practice Abstract Format: Short summary for practitioners in English on the (final or expected) outcomes (1000-1500 characters, word count – no spaces).This summary should be as interesting as possible for farmers/end-users, using a direct and easy understandable language and pointing out entrepreneurial elements which are particularly relevant for practitioners. Research oriented aspects which do not help the understanding of the practice itself should be avoided. |
Short description of the ‘Good Practice’: Twenty years of experience support the solidity and sustainability of this SPG (Solidarity Purchasing Group) that, based in the popular Roman neighborhood of Garbatella, brings together nowadays more than 120 active consumers and about 60 small producers. This type of short supply chain represents great advantages for consumers who can access different types of production (organic, integrated…), high standard local and seasonal food products, at a better quality-price ratio with guarantees of good economic, labor and agronomic practices. All members can propose new suppliers as long as GAS standards are respected (eg local producers, products of excellence (DOC, DOP, IGP), support for social cooperatives, ethical and sustainable production and product traceability). Once approved by the participatory assembly (and after a short period test) may finally become part of the list of producers associated with the SPG. The fact of a physical headquarters in which orders can be stored for a time, the choice of various producers for each food product, and a high frequency of delivery, offer users a potentially complete shopping basket that can be picked up at once. Moreover, the entire ordering and payment procedure can be carried out online through the SPG portal. The user makes a pre-payment bank transfer to the SPG account (in an ethical banking organization) and every purchase is automatically deducted from the balance. The main advantages for producers are a safe community of reference ensuring the sales and quick payments. Another strength is the context in which the SPG rises, in the field of Casetta Rossa public initiative. This situation allows a continuous dialogue with all kinds of realities in the neighborhood and favors the organization of events, including meetings with producers, focused on food education and awareness on agri-food issues. The SPG allows, from 2020, both producers and consumers to collaborate with cash or product donations through the Solidarity Hub promoted by the municipality (Municipio VIII Rome), coordinated by Casetta Rossa, that offers weekly a solidarity food basket to 400 local families affected by the COVID emergency. |
| Main results/outcomes of the activity (expected or final): As other successful SPGs, this is a virtuous and growing initiative that has facilitated in the quartier a type of market based on small chain supplies and local products. On the basis of social and solidarity economy, it has been created a robust and sustainable network by which the increasing demand by the neighbourhood families (and other customer groups) is being addressed by an increasing offer. At the same time, the engaging vocation of Casetta Rossa and the GAS has led to a series of very fruitful events focusing on consumer knowledge on food quality, short food supply chains, agroecology, and food safety. |
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| Due to the particular location in a very important hub of the social life of the neighborhood, this SPG represents a multifaceted, networked social experiment, that might inspire other similar initiatives in other cities. | |
| Further information/Reference: www.casettarossa.org/gas/ and www.casettarossa.org | |
| Short summary for practitioners in native language on the (final or expected) outcomes (1000-1500 characters, word count – no spaces). This summary should be as interesting as possible for farmers/end-users, using a direct and easy understandable language and pointing out entrepreneurial elements which are particularly relevant for practitioners. Research oriented aspects which do not help the understanding of the practice itself should be avoided. |
Più di 20 anni di esperienza avvallano la solidità e la sostenibilità di questo GAS (Gruppo di Acquisto Solidale) che, con sede nel popolare quartiere romano della Garbatella, riunisce oggi più di 120 consumatori e circa 60 piccoli produttori.
Questo tipo di filiera corta rappresenta grandi vantaggi per i consumatori come prodotti alimentari locali e stagionali di alto livello, diverse tipologie di produzione (biologica, integrata…) con un migliore rapporto qualità-prezzo e garanzie di buone pratiche economiche, lavorative e agronomiche. Ogni socio può proporre nuovi fornitori purchè rispettino i principi del GAS (produttori locali, prodotti di eccellenza (DOC, DOP, IGP),supporto alle cooperative sociali, produzione etica e sostenibile, tracciabilità dei prodotti, non uso di disserbanti chimici e pesticidi). Una volta approvato dall’assemblea partecipata (e testato per un breve periodo) può finalmente entrare a far parte dell’elenco dei produttori associati al GAS. La possibilità di beneficiare di uno spazio esclusivo in una sede fisica in cui gli ordini possono essere conservati, l’ampia gamma di produttori diversi per tipo di prodotto alimentare e un’alta frequenza di consegna, offrono agli utenti un carrello della spesa completo e immediatamente ritirabile. Inoltre, l’intera procedura di ordinazione e pagamento viene gestita on-line L’utente effettua un bonifico bancario sul conto del GAS (presso un’organizzazione bancaria etica) e ogni acquisto viene automaticamente detratto dal saldo del singolo utente. I principali vantaggi per i produttori sono una comunità di riferimento sicura che garantisce vendite e pagamenti rapidi. Altro punto di forza è il contesto in cui si colloca il GAS, presso la cooperativa sociale Casetta Rossa. Questa situazione consente un dialogo continuo con ogni tipo di realtà del quartiere e favorisce l’organizzazione di eventi, compresi incontri con i produttori, incentrati sull’educazione alimentare e la sensibilizzazione sui temi agroalimentari. Il GAS permette anche, dal 2020, a produttori e consumatori di contribuire economicamente o con prodotti alimentari attraverso il Hub Solidale promosso dal Municipio VIII di Roma, coordinato da Casetta Rossa, che offre settimanalmente una spesa solidale a 400 famiglie locali colpite da l’emergenza COVID. |
| Pearls, Puzzles, Proposals? | “Pearls” : Despite the unfeasibility of presential meeting and events, during the Covid-19 lock-down period in Rome (march-May 2021) the SPG has experienced more than 30% increment in memberships. After the re-opening those members have continued to purchase and, in some cases, enlarge their engagement in SPG management./// “Puzzle“ : Thanks to the close link to the broader Casetta Rossa community is hard to define a clear boundary of the benefits that derive from being in such a “charismatic” place. /// “Proposals” : continuing to explore new producer’s projects might expand the offer and reach new subscribers in a sustainable way. We’ve been informed that a new website is under construction to cope with the increasing number of requests. Indeed, web/social media communication and dissemination still need to be improved to provide clearer information and better disseminate the activities that revolve around the SPG, this obviously requires a further time-demanding effort in a self-organized community of volunteers. |
| What needs did the ‘good practice’ respond to? | Access to a short chain food supply supporting directly producers, in which local, seasonal, sustainable,ethical and healthy food can be purchased at a good quality/price ratio. |
| Methodology Used: | One-on-one interview with the President of the SPG (Dr. Nadia Lo Bue) |
| Sector | All sectors |
| Actors/Stakeholders involved. Who are key actors in the supply chain AND who are key enablers of the process? | Consumers (common citizen), Producers, Municipal District Administration |
| Is the good practice supported by an IT application? If yes please describe and collect the TRL | Yes, a new website and IT struments are on construction. In the existing one, a registration is needed for access to the purchase, but the list of producers and some other info is openly available through the present webpage http://www.casettarossa.org/gas/ |
| Optional: What supports were provided by public sector bodies/policy instruments? | The Casetta Rossa, hosting the SPG, is placed on a public property, renovated and used by the Cooperative after an agreement with the Municipio VIII. This assignment implies the maintenance of the adjacent public park by the Cooperative . |
| Media attachment (e.g. video link) or other attachment describing/depicting the Good Pratice | https://www.nonsprecare.it/pasto-sospeso-casetta-rossa-roma https://www.romatoday.it/eventi/giornata-degli-assaggi-gas-casetta-rossa.html |
| Key words | SPG Solidarity Purchasing Group- CSA Community supported agriculture- Agroecology- Short Chain Food Supply- Agrofood Systems |
| Additonal infromation for reporting purposes | |
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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101000788 |
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