«I never negotiate the prices of the products with my farmers, I give them what they ask me». Word of Ana Roš, award-winning 3 Michelin star chef with his Hiša Franko restaurant in Caporetto, a handful of kilometers from the Friulian border. Fifty-one years old, Slovenian, even before she is a “self-taught” cook, Ana Roš assures, she has a degree in International Relations from the University of Trieste and for years has been defending the income of the farmers on her land. The last time you did it was on March 26th in Brussels, from the stage of the Forum for the future of agriculture.
What do you think of European farmers who continue to take to the streets to demand that they be given the right price for their products?
The protests in Brussels show that things are not working. I am convinced that it is up to farmers to define what the right price for a product is. Production costs, for example, can vary depending on the month. And then there are not only those. Some time ago I ended up in Slovenian newspapers for paying one euro per potato. The fact is that on my menu there is a dish, hay crusted potato, to cook which I need a tuber of a specific size. When I explained my needs to the farmer I get my supplies from, he asked me to be paid one euro per potato, and I didn’t bat an eyelid. Why does a potato have to cost little and instead, for a product like caviar, I can ask for any amount?
It’s easy not to review the price of a product when you then include it on the menu of a three-Michelin star restaurant, for which customers spare no expense. But not all consumers have the same spending possibilities…
The right price philosophy can be applied at any level. The value that the consumer gives to the product must change, and to achieve this he must be educated. The first step is to buy less, avoiding waste. We don’t need all the food we put in the cart, and part of the savings already comes from this. And then that’s it cook, instead of buying processed food: when cooking you can choose which ingredients to do it with, whether with more or less expensive ones. You don’t spend much for a good pasta with garlic, oil and chilli, but you can use a quality oil and therefore pay the right price to those who produce it. I see poor people filling their trolleys with junk food, snacks and sugary drinks. I might afford any food, but I don’t buy it, I only buy quality products, and always in season: apples only in winter, strawberries only in March, even if I’m crazy regarding berries. Putting five fruit yoghurts in your cart and throwing away three of them costs the same as buying two high-quality ones and adding fresh fruit.
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2024-04-02 19:13:35
