Face to face with: AZIENDA AGRICOLA ROTELLA

February 2026

The Rotella Farm was founded in 1940 in Tiriolo by Giuseppe Michele Rotella as a family-run artisanal business dedicated to the cultivation and extraction of olive oil. Between the late 1980s and early 1990s, the second generation—Francesco, Domenico, and Vincenzo—added a mechanical mill to the existing stone mill. The company's constant growth led to the construction of a second 5,000-square-meter facility in the early 2000s, equipped with cutting-edge technologies and a broad distribution network in both large-scale retail and hospitality sectors. Today, Giuseppe and Alfredo have brought a fresh touch, refining cultivation and extraction techniques, catering to an increasingly discerning and demanding consumer and expanding their markets.

What inspired your participation in SANA Food 2026, and what goals or expectations are guiding you in this new edition?

We have been driven by a strong belief in organic farming, which increasingly requires attention, not only for nature and the microorganisms that inhabit it, but above all for the health of us consumers.

Today’s consumers are increasingly conscious about health and well-being. How has this awareness influenced your production choices or inspired new product concepts?

We were inspired first and foremost by the fact that our primary consumers are ourselves, our parents, and our brothers and sisters. When you're part of the agricultural world, you see so much use of chemical pesticides and it's difficult to consume products without wondering, "Who knows?" So our challenge is to try to produce a high-quality EVO oil, while being aware of the commitment that organic farming entails, even while making sacrifices.

Tradition and innovation often go hand in hand in a company’s growth journey. How do you manage to honor your roots while giving them a contemporary interpretation?

The purpose of our company is to always look ahead to innovation, without ever forgetting the knowledge passed down through three generations. Before being millers, we are farmers: it is our hands, together with those of our collaborators, that bring a high-quality extra virgin olive oil to life — from planting the trees to packaging the finished product. This is what gives us strong foundations today. Our decision to cultivate only native varieties, Carolea and Roggianella, while adopting modern growing techniques, allows us to remain deeply connected to our strong roots through a contemporary perspective.

Transparency, sustainability, and traceability have become essential values in today’s market. How do you bring these principles to life in your distribution practices?

First and foremost, by putting our heart and soul into it! All of this, of course, happens in collaboration with our highly qualified collaborators. We, along with them, manage every stage of the supply chain: we deliver our olives to the mill, process them, filter and store our oils, package them, and handle distribution. We have no external representatives.