Inaugurated Molino San Matteo in Castelfiorentino (Fi), for a 100% Tuscan grain supply chain

The Molino San Matteo in Castelfiorentino (Florence) has been inaugurated, adjacent to the production plant of Cerealia, a company fully controlled by 100% by Unicoop Firenze that produces bread, pizzas, focaccias and fresh and frozen bakery products.

The new mill completes and expands the industrial hub, integrating the milling section directly into the bakery site. With the start-up of the mill, a unique integrated supply chain model takes shape in Central Italy, capable of directly connecting local agricultural production with the final consumer.

The supply chain project

The project is the result of collaboration between Unicoop Firenze, Cerealia and Molini Popolari Riuniti, the cooperative taking over management of the mill, bringing its know-how and supply chain experience developed over more than 70 years of activity in milling, grain selection and quality control. The three partners represent the different links in the supply chain, which also involves more than 100 Tuscan farmers, from whom the soft wheat milled at the plant comes.

Born under the sign of cooperation, the “from field to fork” supply chain thus brings together the work of local growers with that of the three companies overseeing its processing and sale. The mill begins operating with the harvest 2026, launching production focused on food safety and a short supply chain. The grain processed in the mill will in fact be 100% Tuscan, glyphosate-free and residue-free.

More specifically, approximately 70% of the plant's activity will be absorbed by processing Tuscan grain destined for this supply chain, leaving capacity for other processing outside the supply chain by Molini Popolari Riuniti.

The distribution chain

Thanks to the very short distance separating the mill from Cerealia, the distribution chain is shortened further: the flour leaving the mill will directly supply Cerealia and the 29 Unicoop Firenze outlets with in-house production, ensuring bakery products with complete traceability, safe and at a fair price for buyers and producers.

The five stages

The project is based on a regional cooperation pact developed through five synergistic stages:

1. Delivery: Tuscan farmers grow and harvest soft wheat according to strict production specifications aimed at maximum environmental sustainability.

2. Milling: the grain is selected, stored and milled at the new Molino San Matteo in Castelfiorentino by Molini Popolari Riuniti. The proximity to the Cerealia plant eliminates logistical distances: farmers deliver the grain on site, feeding the internal processing in real time. Here, the mill performs crucial functions: it selects the best batches through sampling and transforms the grain into high-quality flour using modern machinery and optical sorters. The entire process follows the principle of complete traceability.

3. Industrial baking: the flour 100% Tuscan, freshly milled and produced at zero food miles, is immediately sent to Cerealia's production sites and the 29 Unicoop Firenze outlets with an in-house production department, where it is transformed into high-quality bread and bakery products.

4. Distribution to consumers: the products of Coop.fi and Cerealia reach consumers' tables, offering members and customers quality, safe and transparent bread and bakery products, the result of a local supply chain that guarantees fair remuneration for farmers and a fair price for consumers.

5. Recovery of unsold products: the bread not sold in Unicoop Firenze outlets is collected and returned to Cerealia, which sells it to a network of feed mills for the production of animal feed. In keeping with the philosophy that “nothing is thrown away”, this circular process eliminates waste by transforming surpluses into a resource, reduces environmental impact and ensures the complete sustainability and efficiency of the supply chain.

The flour: 100% Tuscan, glyphosate-free, residue-free

This arrangement marks the culmination of a consumer protection journey started by Unicoop Firenze more than twenty years ago. In fact, as early as 2005, the cooperative introduced flour 100% Tuscan in all its in-house production. In the following years, the cultivation specifications for the fields were further developed to completely exclude the use of glyphosate. Today, in 2026, the supply chain is taking a further step towards maximum food safety by introducing residue-free certification for its flours.

The comments

Daniela Mori, chair of the supervisory board of Unicoop Firenze: "The inauguration of Molino San Matteo clearly demonstrates how consumer cooperatives can promote healthy and virtuous local economies, bringing guarantees for consumers and benefits for all the parties involved in the production chain. Supporting a short supply chain for 100% Tuscan grain, glyphosate-free and residue-free, means guaranteeing our members and customers bread that is not only excellent and transparent from source, but also safe and ethical. The cooperative's priority objective is to support and protect its members and customers. Through this agreement, we are offering families a concrete response in terms of quality and a fair price, while protecting the work of local producers and limiting environmental impact by optimising transport in the area".

Emidio Granchi, president of Cerealia: "This plant enables us to make a leap forward, creating a fully integrated vertical supply chain model. For Cerealia, being able to rely on excellent milling just a few metres from the bakery site represents a significant advantage in terms of freshness, stability and food safety. We transform traced and certified flour into everyday bakery products, responding to the demand for quality and transparency that today's consumers rightly expect on their tables".

Matteo Baldelli, president of Molini Popolari Riuniti: "Molini Popolari Riuniti decided to invest in this project and partnership, which is taking us, for the first time, to manage a production plant outside Umbria. We bring our extensive experience in milling, as well as our knowledge in agriculture and agronomy. The mill was the missing link in this supply chain created by Unicoop Firenze. We are convinced that, with our contribution, we will be able to join the process of enhancing agricultural production and, at the same time, produce quality flour with traceability and certification for consumers. All this will continue thanks to transparency and cooperative collaboration, in the knowledge that supply chains of this kind are the best way to support agriculture and bring healthy food to consumers' tables".

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.