Unrefined cane sugar from Tailin in Peru is now available for sale in Italy thanks to the Alce Nero brand, which not only supports the Slow Food Presidium but is now also importing the sugar and distributing it to retailers.
A result of collaboration between the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, Alce Nero, the Cooperativa Norandino and the Cooperativas Sin Fronteras, the Tailin Whole Cane Sugar Presidium promotes the cultivation of sugar cane in an area dominated by the coca-leaf trade.
The sugar is produced artisanally from sugar cane grown at altitudes over 1,500 meters above sea level in a small community in the Montero district. The project has facilitated the development of the local economy, with the producers obtaining not just electricity and easier access to local transport, but also the possibility of organizing training courses and exchanges with producers in other countries like Nicaragua, Ecuador and Colombia. This has led to the first Peruvian production of granulated sugar in a traditional mill.
Now, thanks to the help of the Cooperativa Norandino, Alce Nero and Cooperativas Sin Fronteras, the community is embarking on a new chapter. With the export of the Presidium sugar, the 12 participating producers will have new market development opportunities at fair prices, as well as the chance to promote their quality product beyond Peruvian borders.
“Alce Nero promotes products from agriculture that is not just organic, but also socially valuable, able to generate wealth for everyone: for the land, for society, for consumers and for future generations,” explains the company’s chair Luca Cavazzoni. “The Tailin Whole Cane Sugar Presidium is the result of a synergy between different organizations, all united by the same philosophy, and it has in particular brought out the quality of this product. And it is precisely by guaranteeing the quality of products that we can make virtuous projects like this one a reality and promote economic and social change.”
The Slow Food Foundation and Alce Nero already have a long-standing history of collaboration.
Alce Nero has been committed to the concept of the narrative label since the beginning, and, in consultation with the Slow Food Foundation, has applied it to some of its product lines, including the Tailin sugar.