Structuring and creating value for the supply chain of the mountain potato

The research project intends to provide to the operators of the value chain of the “Patata di Montese" valuable tools to improve the perceived value of their mountain product. Indeed, by the adoption of the European “Mountain Product” brand in junction with the brand “Patata di Montese” producers can improve the customer brand awareness and accordingly the perceived value of the their products. Furthermore, referring to the product's packaging and distribution step, the project aims at identifying a packaging system and to coordinate the collaboration with the distribution to increase the distribution penetration on the sales points and support producers in developing proper in-store marketing activities. In addition, referring to the consumption step, through the identification of an innovative digital traceability system that through a QR code allows to reach a website in which the consumer can actually trace the product up along all the supply chain and acquire knowledge and information about the product and its territory of origin. With respect to the agricultural-productive step, the project aims at identifying a crop that able to preserve the original DNA of native crops but with greater resistance to climatic variations and a relative greater yield. Finally, with an ad-hoc formative program we aim at improving the marketing and agronomic knowledge, competencies and skills of potatoes producers.