Olives La Bella di Cerignola

The Cooperative "La Bella di Cerignola" was founded in 1993 thanks to the determination and the financial commitment of some farmers, among the major producers of olives of the Bella di Cerignola variety. This variety is one of the most popular table olives in the world. It is based in Cerignola, the historic food and agricultural center of the Tavoliere delle Puglie plain. It is located three kilometers from the town center, at the Santo Stefano company of the counts Pavoncelli. The Cooperative takes care of the processing, the packaging and the marketing of olives that come exclusively from the fields of the members. The olives are hand picked after a careful cultivation. In respect of the environment the members carry out the so-called "integrated pest management". Thanks to the advice of agronomists and agricultural experts, this allows to minimize the use of pesticides. Over the years the Cooperative got equipped with modern packaging facilities through which it can ensure maximum healthiness of its products while preserving at the same time their nutritional properties and organoleptic characteristics. The Cooperative has also realized a photovoltaic system on the roofs of the factory that allows to use most of the produced energy for the processing, with clear advantages for itself and for the environment. By virtue of the great attention that the Cooperative has always paid to the enhancement of the product, it was one of the promoters of the presentation of the specifications to obtain the European brand  Protected Designation of Origin La Bella della Daunia Bella di Cerignola variety. The recognition of the PDO occurred in the year 2000 and also thanks to this the company has successfully established itself on the most important international markets. In 2002 the Cooperative was also among the promoters of the establishment of the Consortium for the Protection of the P.D.O. La Bella della Daunia, Bella di Cerignola cultivar table olive (Consorzio di Tutela Oliva da Mensa D.O.P. La Bella della Daunia cultivar Bella di Cerignola). Since 2004 this Consortium works with the recognition of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies. Therefore today the finest, biggest olives, with the necessary requirements requested by the Production Regulations of the PDO La Bella della Daunia, Bella di Cerignola variety, are processed and marketed by the Cooperative, both as green and black olives, with the prestigious European Protected Designation of Origin brand.