IL MERCATO DELLA RISTORAZIONE SCOLASTICA PER LA TROTICOLTURA REGIONALE

The study, carried out by the Cnr in the framework of the Iridea project, explored the market offered by the public school canteen system, to the production of trout farmed in the Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) region. The analysis investigated the demand of the Friulian region and that of the city of Rome, which is considered as a model in the public catering sector. The objectives of the research were the analysis of the existing and the potential demand of fresh, local and high quality trout products, the assessment of the technical feasibility of the supply chain, the evaluation of children' liking, and the promotion of the initiative in the public school canteen system. A mixed research methodology, including quantitative and qualitative approaches and techniques, allowed to demonstrate that the majority of the Friulian municipalities is in favour of the introduction of fresh trout products coming from the FVG farms in the school menu. There are several criticalities, but the fish supply chain is feasible at the logistic, technical, organizational, and economic levels. Children like the trout recipes, even more if they are encouraged to eat them through an educational program. The Friulan farmed trout is an excellent product for public school catering and it is able to supply both the regional market and farther national canteens. For the trout farming sector there is an opportunity to enlarge and diversify the market, but this possibility should be supported by specific actions of promotion carried out by producers and policy makers.