The approach to organic takes place in several stages:
- In the early 1990s, third-party organic products are incorporated into Esselunga;
- In 1995 ‘Naturama’ products are launched;
- In 1998, fair trade products are introduced;
- 1999 saw the launch of ‘Esselunga Bio’ products. Some are produced directly by Esselunga;
- In 2001 the first products with the Ecolabel ‘For those who love nature’ are launched;
- In 2002 ‘Esselunga Bio’ fair trade products are launched.
The Ecolabel products clash with the traditional detergent lobby in Brussels. I am forced to call the Henkel people – who are lobbying against us in Brussels – to make them understand that continuing to try to block their release ‘is no good’. On these social issues I am perfectly aware that I am moving on a razor’s edge with Bernardo, for ideological reasons. Everything ecological annoys him and I try to avoid his criticism: I had built and launched the range of fair trade organic products when he was distracted by other things. (…)” (p. 188).
In the internal classification, ‘For those who love nature’ is in first place:
*Private Label, Private Brands
As stated in Esselunga’s first social report, ‘Values in facts’ (2003), Esselunga ‘supports the dissemination of Ecolabel, the European Union’s eco-label. It was the first company, in May 2001, to obtain Ecolabel recognition with its own-brand washing machine powder. The label has now been extended to the Esselunga lines of detergents, paper products and textiles (also using organically grown cotton)”.
The eco-branded textiles, from underwear to household linen, was presented in 2002 at SANA, the international organic and natural products show that has been held for over thirty years at the Bologna Trade Fair; on that occasion I reiterated that “dedicating ourselves to green production such as that required by organic farming has paved the way for a real philosophy of returning to nature, which necessarily includes protection and respect for the environment in which we live: in Esselunga, this desire has become a concrete project, which sees in the Ecolabel product line a further safe and reliable answer that complements the other Esselunga Bio and Esselunga Naturama brand lines” (G. CAPROTTI, G. P. CERRI, Biological: Sana, Esselunga opens to textiles, 09/09/2002.
The numbers speak for themselves:
