Local products and the De.Co. register
The Avolese district stretches along a strip between the degrading slopes of the Hyblean Mountains and the coastal area washed by the Ionian Sea; it also feature an excellent exposure, a conspicuous presence of water, a mild climate and the absence of strong, cold winds. Furthermore, in the last thirty years the city of Avola has rediscovered its agricultural vocation, this has led to a continuous growth of old and new companies that increasingly aim at respect for biodiversity, ecological and sustainable choices, and a wide use of technologic innovations. The farms with their plots of almond groves, olive groves, vineyards, sugar cane plantations and citrus groves are located in the degrading area of the Iblean hills, in particular in the Petrara, Bochini, Mammanelli and Nicolella districts.
n the peripheral areas of the city (San Marco, Limarri, Risicone, Chiusa di Carlo districts) small industrial plants have been modernized or built from scratch which deal with the shelling of almonds, oil and wine production, storage and marketing of citrus fruits, of the first phases of transformation of the materials first grown in the area.
Nowadays, most farms and processing companies aim to preserve the characteristics of the product, improve its quality and preserve its authenticity. Alongside them, collateral sectors have developed, such as pastry making, which in Avola makes extensive use of raw materials such as almonds and lemons, and which through skilful work offers ancient recipes in a traditional or contemporary way.
Furthermore, commercial activities have sprung up that carry out the retail sale of olives, oil, citrus jams, liqueurs and spirits, bulk and bottled wines.
The municipal administration of Avola, given the economic importance of the agri-food, food and wine sector and related activities, implementing the law of the Sicilian Region for the establishment and regulation of the electronic regional register of municipalities and related products with the municipal denomination De.Co. (L.R. n.3 of 18/03/2022) proposed by the Hon. Lawyer Rossana Cannata, Deputy and current Mayor of the City of Avola, and approved by the ARS on 18 March 2022, has established the De.Co. Registry in its territory.
This municipal initiative is an important and useful tool for the safeguarding, protection and dissemination of local agri-food and food and wine production, craftsmanship, biodiversity as well as for the defence of history, traditions and local knowledge and the promotion of historical specificities and cultural aspects of the municipal area.
They can start the De.Co. attribution process. and therefore both commercial and cultural products that are closely linked to local history, culture or traditions be part of the municipal register.
The following fall into the “commercial” category: typical products, artisanal products and local food artisanal products, or raw materials deriving from agricultural, livestock, fishing, artisanal activities and from the transformation of products deriving from the aforementioned activities, through methods which have consolidated themselves in local customs and habits, also taking into account innovative techniques that constitute their natural development and updating.
On the other hand, fall into the “cultural” category: recipes linked to tradition, even with the use of products not necessarily linked to the territory; the festivals with a certain historical relevance, which are also a reason for the Avola community to group together; knowledge, referring to the practices and techniques in use in the territory; the places that characterize the identity in a peculiar way and which are worthy of protection and valorization.
