From a marginal activity to an evolved entrepreneurial experience: the history of Adi Apicoltura can be summarized in these terms. The company is located in the heart of Italy, at Tornareccio in the province of Chieti, where, thanks to a winning intuition conceived by Giuseppe Antonio Iacovanelli, at the end of the Nineteenth century, the production and sale of local honey was started. This product would later contribute to the maintenance for the whole family and the establishment of a virtuous path that led, over the years, to the evolution of beekeeping in the entire district. This history speaks about quality, entrepreneurship, innovation, respect for nature, and new commercial frontiers, carried on with the same passion by the fourth and fifth generation of Iacovanelli family.
Conventional and, especially, organic
Adi Apicoltura has always produced conventional honey, harvested in several Italian regions in uncontaminated areas, far from industrialized areas, but, since 1999, it has chosen to focus on organic honey. This product requires a rigorous selection of wild flowers and plantations grown on lands free from pesticides, beehives built with natural materials, and a process of honey extraction by centrifugation with no added sugar, colouring agents, preservatives, nor such techniques as pasteurization and alteration. Fabio Iacovanelli, owner of the company with his brother Piero, explains: «Our beekeeping is nomadic: we unceasingly move our 1,600 beehives in different Italian regions, in search of the best blooms and not present in the territory of Tornareccio, in order to guarantee to our customers a variety of unparalleled honeys. So, such single-flower honeys as acacia, citrus, chestnut, cherry, eucalyptus, sunflower, honeydew, rosemary, thyme, French honeysuckle, lime, and rhododendron, to name only a few of them, are born in Abruzzo, Marche, Molise, Puglia, and Calabria. As soon as the bees deposit honey in their combs, we bring back the beehives in our seat at Tornareccio, in order to proceed with the honey extraction, which guarantees freshness and quality to our products».
Piero e Fabio Iacovanelli
Creams, nougat, and royal jelly
Such specialties as creams prepared with honey and IGP hazelnuts from Piedmont, gianduja, nougats, small nougats, and sweet delicacies for true gourmets are produced. They are proposed in organic version, too. As it happens for honey, other bee products, such as royal jelly and pollen, are ideal for consumers who like to combine goodness and wellbeing. Every year Adi Apicoltura renews different certifications: quality, health, safety, and environment carry the stamp of the British Retail Consortium of Bureau Veritas, International Food Standard, and Star-K-Kosher, while the organic production is certified by Bio Agricert, Usda Organic, and Canada Organic. This allows the company to export, through importers, 20% of its turnover to many Countries worldwide, including the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Bahrain, the Caribbean, China, Qatar, Hong Kong and Russia. Fabio Iacovanelli concludes: «We aim at producing a healthy and high-value product, as well as relying on the strength of Made in Italy and great demand for organic food abroad. We will keep on working with honesty, following the traditions handed down in our family in respect for quality of our products and environment».
