When you walk into an Italian farmers’ market and see the yellow sign “Campagna Amica”, that means that you are buying fresh produce directly from a farmer. All sellers that expose the yellow flag belong to a national network that was built by Coldiretti, the largest Italian agricultural association, to cut out any middlemen. In this guide you will find how Campagna Amica works, how it began, how it benefits both producers and consumers, and how it is tied to Coldiretti.
1. What does “Campagna Amica” mean?
“Campagna Amica” literally means “Friendly Countryside”. It evokes the idea of the country, the farm-to-table connection and a direct relationship between the farmer and the customer. The name was chosen to reflect this mission of authenticity.
The idea was born in 2008, when Coldiretti founded the Fondazione Campagna Amica to promote direct sales and shorten supply chains.
Coldiretti, the major Italian farmers’ union, realised that consumers wanted fresh, local, transparent food and that producers needed fairer returns. This network became a reality when local markets, farm shops and agritourism businesses adopted the brand and the rules.
Today, Campagna Amica is the tool through which Coldiretti delivers its vision of a “filiera agricola tutta italiana” (a fully Italian agricultural supply chain). (coldiretti.it)
2. National coverage, scope and seasons
Campagna Amica is national. From big cities to rural villages, you will find “Mercati di Campagna Amica”, “Punti Vendita”, and “Agriturismi Campagna Amica”.
It covers many types of products: fresh fruit and vegetables, meats, cheeses, olive oil, wines, herbs, and even agritourism hospitality. Some events are seasonal: harvest festivals, winter fairs, summer outdoor markets. The network also joins large food-culture events and runs its own exhibitions to promote rural tourism.
What’s remarkable: the network counts thousands of producers, agritourisms and direct sales points. For example, one source reports more than 10,000 farms under the brand and a turnover of €4 billion a year.
In short: it’s not a local project. It’s a nationwide ecosystem for producer-to-consumer direct sale.
3. How to join for producers
If you are an agricultural enterprise, an agriturismo, a cooperative or farm shop and you want to join Campagna Amica, you must follow a clear process:
- Be a member of Coldiretti.
- Undergo accreditation by the Fondazione Campagna Amica.
- Commit to the brand’s rules: Italian origin of products, “km 0” or near-zero transport, transparency, traceability.
Costs vary regionally (membership fees, oversight costs), but the value lies in using the brand “Campagna Amica” which gives consumer trust. Producers gain access to markets, farm-shops, direct sales channels, and tourism-linked networks.
Joining means you become a “Punto Campagna Amica” and you can display the yellow brand, join an official market, use the network’s marketing, and benefit from Coldiretti’s institutional support.
4. Why consumers care
For consumers, Campagna Amica offers several clear benefits:
- Freshness + traceability: you buy food from the farmer, often right where it was grown.
- Italian origin guaranteed: the brand requires “100% Italian” for many products.
- Sustainable and local food: you reduce transport, support local economies, know who produced your food.
- Events and markets: beyond weekly markets you get food festivals and opportunities to meet producers. For example the “Mercato di Campagna Amica” in major cities offers dozens of farm-stands.
If you are visiting Le Marche (or any Italian region) look for the Campagna Amica mark. It will often be at open-air markets, farm shops and agritourism venues.
Upcoming events: the network publishes on its website all market locations and dates. (campagnamica.it)
When you shop at a Campagna Amica market you often find seasonal produce, local cheeses, olive oil, truffles, and you will meet the farmers.
5. Hierarchy & ties to Coldiretti
Campagna Amica is promoted and certified by Coldiretti. Coldiretti is the national farmers union founded in 1944.
The structure:
- Coldiretti (national union) supports producers and pushes the “Filiera Agricola Tutta Italiana”.
- Fondazione Campagna Amica (established 2008) delivers the brand, markets, accreditation and consumer network.
- At regional level: “Associazioni Agrimercato”, local Coldiretti offices, market-organisers.
The brand rules: annual controls, “km 0” criteria, Italian origin guarantees and a disciplinary of use of the logo and brand.
Because of this tie to Coldiretti, Campagna Amica stands as the largest direct-sales network in Italy under the same brand — a producer-consumer chain with institutional backing.
In Le Marche, this means your local farmers fairs, agritourist farms, and regional producers can often be seen under the Campagna Amica umbrella — and you can use this network when writing about local food tourism.
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Campagna Amica means “Friendly Countryside” and represents Italy’s largest network connecting farmers directly with consumers.
- It began in 2008 via Coldiretti and the Fondazione Campagna Amica to support direct sales, tourism and sustainable agriculture.
- The network is national, covers many product categories and seasons, and runs open-air markets, farm shops and agritourism venues.
- Producers join by being Coldiretti members, accrediting with the foundation and agreeing to strict brand rules; they gain direct access to a trusted brand and sales network.
- Consumers benefit from fresh, Italian-origin, lower-intermediary food, measurable traceability and direct contact with producers; in regions like Le Marche you’ll see the brand at many markets and agritourist spots.
- Campagna Amica is structured under Coldiretti via the foundation, regional market associations and brand regulation.