ALBA, Italy — Ferrero is launching the second edition of its Hazelnut Agronomy Program, a technical training initiative focused on hazelnut cultivation in Italy. The confectionery giant, which has made hazelnuts one of the key ingredients behind its success, is promoting the program in partnership with the European Institute of Innovation for Sustainability and the National Council of Agronomists and Foresters. Applications close at noon on November 18, when the training program officially gets underway.

A few figures illustrate just how important the hazelnut supply chain is to Ferrero. Every day, the company produces 25 million Ferrero Rocher chocolates at its factory in Alba. Each praline requires just under four hazelnuts, including one whole nut. That adds up to 100 million hazelnuts a day — at the Alba plant alone, and for Rocher alone, excluding the company's other factories and products, starting with Nutella.

In 2015, the group established Ferrero Hazelnut Company, its global hazelnut division. Operating in 10 countries with more than 3,000 employees, the division was created to integrate the supply chain vertically and help ensure quality, continuity, sustainability, traceability and availability.

The division is led by General Manager Marco Botta, who is originally from Vercelli. “Ferrero has never been simply a buyer of hazelnuts,” he says. “From the very beginning, the company has positioned itself as an active player throughout the supply chain. We work across every part of it, with the goal of becoming a point of reference for the industry and creating shared value.”

The Hazelnut Agronomy Program is one example of that approach.

“The program was created in response to a period of profound change in Italy’s hazelnut industry,” Botta says. “The sector covers about 90,000 hectares and is now having to contend with the effects of climate change, the emergence of new plant diseases, the abandonment of some rural areas and aging orchards. In this context, technical training is a practical way to support productivity, quality and resilience.”

The first edition drew 1,000 registrations and delivered more than 70 hours of training. Of those who took part, 120 professionals were selected for more in-depth study through four in-person sessions at the universities of Turin, Perugia, Tuscia and Salerno.

“The program has generated concrete projects addressing some very timely issues,” Botta says.

Some participants are exploring how artificial intelligence could help detect brown marmorated stink bugs in hazelnut orchards, enabling growers to target control measures more precisely. Others developed projects to rejuvenate hazelnut orchards gradually and more sustainably.

“Overall, we have confirmed the value of a collaborative model bringing together businesses, professionals, researchers and institutions,” Botta says. “That is also why we launched a community designed to keep the conversation going and encourage the sharing of best practices.”

The industry faces complex challenges. “In recent years, climate-related problems and plant diseases have had a significant impact,” says Botta, Ferrero Hazelnut Company’s general manager.

“Harvest volumes were higher this year than last year, which is an encouraging first sign, but challenges remain. Lazio, Campania and Piedmont have traditionally been the leading hazelnut-producing regions. We are also seeing positive trends in newer growing areas, including Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Calabria, which have considerable room to expand. Demonstration farms — essentially open-air laboratories designed to promote innovation and sustainability — are operating in these regions as well.”

Each experimental farm focuses on a specific issue. In Piedmont, for example, researchers are studying how to manage pruning waste. Elsewhere, projects are assessing varieties suited to newly developing growing areas and optimizing irrigation in central and southern Italy.

But domestic production alone cannot meet Ferrero’s hazelnut needs, so the company relies on multiple sources around the world.

“We are interested in the quality of the raw material, wherever it comes from, from Turkey to Chile,” Botta says. More than 300 hazelnut varieties exist worldwide, but Ferrero has certified just over 20 for use in its products. Selecting and approving them requires years of research and careful selection, along with exceptionally demanding standards.

“Just consider that, for a hazelnut to make it into a Ferrero Rocher, its diameter can vary by no more than half a millimeter. Otherwise, it is rejected.”

Innovation goes hand in hand with social responsibility. In just a few years, Ferrero has achieved traceability for 97% of the hazelnuts it uses.

“If you know where your raw materials come from, you can monitor them, identify problems and take action to solve them,” Botta says.

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