The Italian IV range sector strengthens its supply chain structure with the creation of Fourth Range Union, a new association of producer organizations that aims to foster greater coordination between agriculture, industry, and large-scale retail trade. The initiative was presented in Rome by Filiera Italia at the Coldiretti headquarters, in the presence of Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, and brings together a significant portion of national agricultural production destined for bagged salads, a sector worth over one billion euros in Italy. The creation of the Union is part of a growing and transforming sector, which in recent years has assumed a central role in the evolution of fresh fruit and vegetables, helping to make vegetable consumption simpler and more accessible in everyday life. It is no coincidence that Italy is now the world's leading country in per capita consumption of fresh-cut salads.
Among the companies involved in the project are The Green Line, a leading Italian player in the ready-to-eat salad and fresh-cut meals segment, emphasizes the importance of strengthening integration throughout the entire production chain. "The fresh-cut range is one of the most significant innovations in Italian fruit and vegetables in recent decades," explains Domenico Battagliola, CEO of La Linea Verde. “It has changed the way consumers integrate plants into their diet and continues to represent a category with significant growth potential.”
This model is based first and foremost on agricultural work. Bagged salads come from specialized crops of baby leaf, which require advanced agronomic skills, production planning and very high quality standards.
In this context, La Linea Verde operates through OP Sun and Dew, the group's producer organization dedicated to the cultivation of salads intended for the fresh-cut range, with the aim of ensuring production continuity and consistent quality throughout the year.
"The value of fresh-cut produce begins first and foremost in the fields," Battagliola continues. "The quality of the baby leaves and the ability of producer organizations to ensure production continuity represent the first step in the entire supply chain."
According to the company, initiatives like Unione Quarta Gamma represent an important step towards strengthening the dialogue between agricultural production, the processing industry, and large-scale distribution, in a market that increasingly demands organizational efficiency, innovation, and sustainability.
"Collaboration among all the sector's players is what has allowed the fresh-cut sector to establish itself in recent years," concludes Battagliola. "Joining the Fresh-Cut Union means helping to strengthen the value and development prospects of a strategic sector for the Italian fruit and vegetable industry."
Founded over thirty years ago and based in Manerbio (Brescia), The Green Line Today, it is one of Europe's leading producers of ready-to-eat salads, freshly prepared meals, and chilled drinks, including through the DimmidiSì brand. Its integrated supply chain extends from cultivation to distribution in Italian and international retail chains.
