ARVAIA General description of the SME

Arvaia is a cooperative of “organic urban farmers” founded in February 2013 in Bologna (Italy).

Arvaia works primarily in the field of vegetable crop production, although it also produces arable

crops. Arvaia is a city farm that is contextualised in a green area called “Parco Città Campagna”

(City Countryside Park) within the urban area of Bologna. Up to June 2015, Arvaia managed

around 3 hectares of land of the municipality. Since June 2015, Arvaia has rented, for the next 20

years, an area of 47.22 hectares of the Parco Città Campagna. This enlargement will allow the

development of orchards, as well as new crops and projects.

Arvaia is inspired to CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model, although is situated in a

public park. It is, therefore, a project of collective management of commons for the purpose of

subsistence, which also has among its aims the employment, increase of social participation,

monitoring and defend of the territory, the spread of organic/biodynamic growing methods, the

downsizing of the market and of monetary exchange. The reference community is the citizens of the

city of Bologna. In particular, citizens who are part of Arvaia participate in the farm works and

utilise the food produced in the cooperative. Arvaia counts: 4 working members and 260 associate

members; about 120 members are the users who regularly (but with different frequency) participate

in the daily agricultural activities. Arvaia also is an educational farm for schools and adults, who

participate in the agricultural activities in order to learn techniques of organic and biodynamic

agriculture.

Figure 1: Alberto Veronesi, the President of Arvia in a tunnel utilised for the growth of zucchini. Photo by Mattia Accorsi.

Description of productive activities

The main activity of the cooperative is the production of vegetables. Agricultural activities are

carried out in plots of production. The entire productive area is, at the moment, of about 3 hectares.

The care of the land and cultivation promoted by the cooperative follow the philosophy of

sustainable family farming, organic and biodynamic methods are employed. This is done in order to

privilege, where possible, the use of human labour instead of the use of capitals. No certification or

label are utilised because it is preferred the direct control by the associates. The partners organise

regular meetings in order to define operational strategies and the planning of crops. The vegetables

are collected weekly and sent to 7 points of distribution in the city. Arvaia also organises

educational events in the field where it explains various issues related to rural life in order to

increase consciousness of the importance of quality food for health.

At the moment, all the resources are provided by the associated citizens with an annual or seasonal

fee. The members that have pre-bought the entire crop season (autumn / winter, spring / summer),

may withdraw the fresh products during the year.

Since the establishment of the cooperative was planned to employ 3 people as regular employees, 4

are the workers paid at the moment, with the target of engaging in full-time up to 10 people in the

following five years. The current agricultural activities include also a small orchard. For the future

it is expected the inclusion of livestock production through poultry, breeding cattle and later the

transformation of products.

Figure 2: preparation of the irrigation

Location and environmental factors

Arvaia stands within the Parco Città Campagna, a large area of 50 hectares called Villa Bernaroli

and village Morazzo in Borgo Panigale district in the mu

natural park, but with clear agricultural purposes, which, however, acts as an important ecological

corridor for several species of insects and birds. The farm borders the district Borgo Panigale (a

highly dense popular district) where a number of factories are also present, and, on the other side,

with a peri-urban agricultural zone. A farmer

since 5 years.

Figure 3: Position of the cooperative Arvaia clos

preparation of the irrigation system in the fields cultivated by Arvia. Photo by Arvaia website

Location and environmental factors

the Parco Città Campagna, a large area of 50 hectares called Villa Bernaroli

and village Morazzo in Borgo Panigale district in the municipality of Bologna. The green area is a

natural park, but with clear agricultural purposes, which, however, acts as an important ecological

corridor for several species of insects and birds. The farm borders the district Borgo Panigale (a

opular district) where a number of factories are also present, and, on the other side,

urban agricultural zone. A farmer market (conventional products) is present in the zone

Position of the cooperative Arvaia close to the centre of Bologna

. Photo by Arvaia website

the Parco Città Campagna, a large area of 50 hectares called Villa Bernaroli

nicipality of Bologna. The green area is a

natural park, but with clear agricultural purposes, which, however, acts as an important ecological

corridor for several species of insects and birds. The farm borders the district Borgo Panigale (a

opular district) where a number of factories are also present, and, on the other side,

market (conventional products) is present in the zone

Markets and marketing

BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS

Key participants:

President and agronomist Alberto Veronesi;

Vicepresident Cecilia Guadagni;

Adviser and farmer Stefano Peloso;

Administration and management Liseno Nunzia

Key activities:

Vegetable production with 70-80 species grown for 45 weeks per year production

Value proposition:

Model of participated cooperative, and from farm to fork

Customer relations:

Formal, informal, co-creation, participation

Market segments:

members of the cooperative that are citizens of the city of Bologna

Key resources

Land of the city of Bologna for rent, shares of members who invest in the cooperative

Marketing channels:

Website, telephone, email, social network

Key participants:

Arvaia is constituted by 4 working members and other 260 members. Alberto Veronesi is the

President and is the only agronomist of the cooperative. Cecilia Guadagni is vice-president and

farmer, Stefano Peloso is a farmer and adviser and Liseno Nunzia is responsible for the

administration and management. Within the entire number of members, about 120 are users who

participate in agricultural activities quite regularly.

Key activities:

Arvaia operates primarily in the field of horticulture but has also a small production of arable crops.

At the time of this writing, are produced 70-80 species of vegetables on an area of less than 3

hectares. Since June 2015, Arvaia will rent, for 20 years, an area of 47.22 hectares in order to

improve the activities and to implant orchards.

Key resources:

Arvaia aims to promote the use of common lands of Bologna. The vegetable production is the main

activity and income. Production costs are covered entirely by shareholders through a participatory

and inclusive annual planning at the starting of the season. In addition, Arvaia utilises different

European contributions such as CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) and RDP (Rural Development

Plan) that contribute to the revenue necessary to carry out the activities of the cooperative. Arvaia is

developing (in do it yourself mode) small mechanical equipment that can help manual labour.

Value proposition:

Arvaia through its model aims to minimise the "from farm to fork" chain, to increase social

participation, to monitor and defend the territory, to spread organic/biodynamic growing methods,

to downsize monetary exchanges. In addition, the cooperative aims to minimise the production and

use of packaging: this is reached by the self-picking of the partners that utilise their own containers.

Finally, through a logistics network, it offers the minimisation of transport because transport is

carried out with a van and production is distributed in 7 points distributed within the city.

Customer relations:

Currently about 120 associates are involved in the production and consumption of vegetables. The

production is distributed to shareholders through a transport van that supplies 7 points distributed in

the city of Bologna. The citizen participation has grown by 27-28% in the 2014-2015 period.

Members are involved in all the activities of the cooperative starting from the meetings at the

beginning of the season. The activities are structured in thematic working groups: the group of

agricultural work, officinal plants, relationships with institutions, communication, training,

administration of the park.

Market segment:

The cooperative does not access the market but produces exclusively for its members.

Marketing channels:

Communication occurs via the website, the newsletter and Facebook. All communication tools aim

to spread and reach new members. A specific working group on communication regularly works

and organises meetings.

Cost categories:

The main cost of the cooperative is the working cost of the four working members. This covers

approximately 60% of the entire annual budget. The rent for the land of the city of Bologna will be

(from June 2015) of about 25000 euro per year (47 hectares). The investments for the machinery,

fuel, seeds and seedlings constitute the other costs. It is not there a cost for the unexpected events

because an eventually lower production is included in the "business risk" of the members (who pay

at the beginning of the season).

Revenue sources:

Revenue from the annual collection of members fees are the most conspicuous part of the entire

budget. No help is provided by the city government. CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) and RDP

(Rural Development Plan) may be in the future a source of revenue.

Conclusion

• Arvaia is a cooperative founded very recently that has created great interest among the citizens

of Bologna. This is due mainly to a new economic model (CSA - Community Supported

Agriculture) for the Italian market and to the quality of the vegetables produced.

• Arvaia aims to follow a cooperative approach where land is considered a common good, and

shared within the farm. Another important aspect of this common approach is to decide together

how and what to grow, with maximum availability to organise agricultural labour.

Contact details:

Email: info@arvaia.it

Address: via Olmetola 16 Bologna (Italy)

Website: http://www.arvaia.it/

The URBAN GREEN TRAIN project has been funded with the support of the European Union and the Italian National Agency for the Erasmus+ Programme. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the European Union and the Italian National Agency for the Erasmus+ Programme cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.