neighborhood oranges & the ‘marmellate solidale’ project

For two years Latteria Studio helped two young Nigerian men trying to make a new life in Italy gain practical work experience and earn extra money in a dignified and valuable way. The tiny social enterprise continued thanks to the group of people who supported the project by buying the marmalade.

Over winter, orange marmalade was made using the Seville oranges that grow in parks, gardens, and on the streets of Rome. The association Frutta Urbana ran chemical tests on the urban oranges of Rome, finding that because of the oranges' natural defence systems, the fruit could be classified as organic as it remained unaffected by air and soil pollution. Having access to this fruit—Seville oranges are difficult to buy at the market—meant the team could produce this hugely labour-intensive marmalade and earn much-needed money.

The marmalade contained some pectin and was made with white (Italian) sugar at 50% of the weight of the fruit. During the rest of the year, apricot and plum jam were also produced.

The illustrations for the labels were done by Haley Polinski.