Production regulations for Genoese Basil DOP

The production specifications contain the cultivation and packaging rules that guarantee the uniqueness of the product.

The Specification contains the transcription of the traditional techniques developed and handed down over time by local producers. It is with these techniques that history was made and the fame of Genoese Basil was created throughout the world.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PRODUCTION RULES

The path that led to the PDO was the moment in which the community of producers organized themselves to request protection on the use of the geographical name and, therefore, to equip themselves with rules.

Over time, Genoese-Ligurian basil had become a typical product, and therefore a public good. However, it was suffering from phenomena of over-exploitation and opportunism with the risk of an “extinction” of the original product.

With the PDO, however, it has been transformed from a public good into an “exclusive” good, that is, regulated and under control , to protect a selection of companies, not only agricultural ones, interested in the image and reputation of the “geographical name”, with the aim of avoiding incorrect behaviour linked to its use.

Producers are the only ones entitled to establish the production rules and the characteristics of the PDO product . The production specification is, therefore, a rare case of an agri-food standard defined “from below”, with a high reflection of the local context.

The definition of the rules of the production regulations for Genoese Basil DOP therefore involved local producers and technicians, coordinated by the Protection Consortium, carrying out a harmonisation between the needs of local businesses (including the non-agricultural ones involved indirectly) seeking a shared and sufficiently stable vision of the product and the objectives of its valorisation for the market .

The rules of the production specification provide for
the delimitation of the territory,
the use of only the traditional technique
and clear identification of the product
and the manufacturing company on the packaging.

There are also specific rules based on the destination of Genoese Basil DOP: for fresh consumption and for industrial processing.

DELIMITATION OF THE TERRITORY

The production area of “BASILICO GENOVESE” PDO is limited to the Tyrrhenian coast of the Liguria region, delimited by the watershed. Productions can be made all year round.

CULTIVATION ON NATURAL SOIL

Cultivation can be carried out in open ground for industrial use or in greenhouses for fresh consumption. In a greenhouse, it can be carried out on a pallet as long as it is on natural soil taken from the same area.

The production of Basilico Genovese DOP on substrates without natural soil is prohibited. Mineral amendments are permitted only up to 20% by volume.

To prepare the soil, mechanical tillage is carried out and the main nutrients for the vegetative development of basil (nitrogen and organic matter) are added based on soil analyses.

PLANT GROWING AND CARE ENVIRONMENTS

Cultivation can be carried out in a protected environment all year round, as long as constant air exchange is guaranteed, and in open fields during the warm season. Plant care involves preventive measures such as biological soil disinfection with steam, and an integrated approach during cultivation. Irrigation is a delicate and crucial practice, which farmers monitor with great care using climate management systems.

traditional harvesting

Traditional harvesting is a crucial aspect of the production of Genoese Basil DOP.

For fresh consumption, it is harvested by hand by uprooting the plants one by one, complete with roots.

For industrial use, Genoese Basil DOP grown in open fields is harvested by removing only the apical part of the plant, which is the most tender and fragrant.

PACKAGING

The packaging, both of the typical bouquet or bunch for fresh consumption and the packaging for processing, is marked with the words “BASILICO GENOVESE DOP”, with the EU DOP symbol, with the full company brand and with the product logo.

For fresh consumption, bunches containing entire plants with two to four pairs of leaves are packaged: if there are up to 10 plants it is called a “bunch”, above which it is called a “bouquet”, which generally contains 30 to 100.

TRACEABILITY

Each PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) requires (as established in Regulation (EU) 1151/2012) a specification that includes the name to be protected, a description of the product, its characteristics and its production method, and the production area.
the elements that demonstrate that the product originates from the geographical area
the description of the method of obtaining the product and of the local, fair and consistent methods, as well as information on the packaging;
the elements that establish the link between the product and the geographical environment;
the data of the supervisory body;
the specific rules for product labelling. More information on the official DOP IGP website.