Interview Sonia spagnoli

1. COMENIUS PROJECT
2013-2015
CRISIS ? WHAT CRISIS?
An Interview with
Sonia Spagnoli,
Owner of her father’s farm

2. 1- Is there a financial crisis in Europe?
Oh yes, there is a crisis in Italy and Europe.

3. 2- How does it affect your business?
We feel the crisis especially during the winter, when we have to buy
fodder from other big farms. The price of fodder is high, it depends on
the market fluctuations. There are lots of competitors selling the
same products as ours.

4. 2- How does it affect your business?
Some firms have got low prices but our production costs are
higher, so we have to negotiate. We also sell our products to restaurants,
the income now is around € 2,000 a year but in the past it was more
or less €5,000.

5. 3- What do you do to overcome the crisis?
Over the years we had lots of supplies because we bought quantities
of fodder when the prices were good even if we had the problem of
storage because the fodder has to stay in a dry place.

6. 3- What do you do to overcome the crisis?
To overcome the crisis we need to:
 offer our customers a high quality product
 keep loyal customers, so that we can manage
 improve relations with the institutions
 maintain and improve the image of the farm
 be involved in promotional campaigns for wine and food
 have positive newspaper articles by food and wine critics

7. 4- How could this crisis be avoided and what would your advice be to the young
people of Europe?
This crisis is a difficult problem to solve. Every day we have new rules to
observe according to law. There are also lots of norms of production and
sometimes the costs are high. All the farms must keep up with the times.

8. 4- How could this crisis be avoided and what would your advice be to the young people of Europe?
To young Europeans I say:
 not to lose heart
 not to lose the will to work
 be positive
 be innovative to let your activity be alive
 study
 attend lifelong learning courses
Our work has ethical and human values to pass on and it gives us great
satisfaction.

9. 5- Did you have to sell any of your cattle because of the crisis?
No we don’t. Even if once, families could buy a whole calf, now they
go to the butcher to buy small quantities. Sometimes we have to sell our
meat at only €1 or €1.50 a kilo.

10. 5- Did you have to sell any of your cattle because of the crisis?
Sonia is the owner since 2010 and she has made improvements to her farm.
Her large family can live with the incomes: mother, father, seven
brothers and sisters and a few helpers.

11. 5- Did you have to sell any of your cattle because of the crisis?
She spends every summer with her cattle in the mountain called “Malga
Val Gabbia” and she goes back home at the end of November.
She has 60 head of cattle in her farm but in summer she has to take
care of 130 head of cattle in 178 hectares of pasture.