Julia Scarselli is the co-founder of Libellula, which sells Italian extra virgin olive oil made by family farmers from Sabina, a region north of Rome. Through Libellula, Julia and her father Camillo, provide family farmers with a way to work collectively. By coming together under one organisation, Sabina’s farmers are able to sell their hand-harvested oil without fear of having to meet unrealistic production levels or worrying if they will lose their contract if they have a bad harvest. Through the sharing of technology and farming knowledge, the farmers also benefit from sustainability and environmental improvements within their olive groves.
Q > Libellula extra virgin olive oil comes from the Sabina region near Rome. What made you choose to work with farmers specifically in this area as opposed to other parts of Italy?
A > Libellula was founded out of the context-specific reality we discovered in Sabina, rather than the other way around. In other words, the idea for Libellula originated only after we learned about the Sabina region and the farmers there. I am originally from Milan, my family is from Bologna, but my father moved to a mediaeval town 40 minutes north of Rome in the Sabina region, and as I visited him over the years I got to know the locals and their histories. It was through these conversations that we learned that most locals own olive groves that have been passed down over generations but that many were abandoning their land due to the difficulties of maintaining it. Out of this challenge we were exposed to, Libellula was born as a collective of family farmers, with the mission to maintain the olive groves in their ownership by sharing access to resources and selling the highest quality olive oil to people in the U.S.
Q > When you first started, back in 2018, what expectations did you have? Have these been met?
A > Our expectations were to grow our collective of family farmers to have the most impact as possible in our farming community in Sabina, and to make every person who experienced Libellula olive oil fall in love with their food and learn where it comes from. I would say we have achieved both objectives! We also established sustainability goals which you can read about here.
Q > What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced, and how have you overcome them?
A > Our biggest challenges are 1) setting up the operations and 2) growing our customer-base organically. On the former, we needed to find the right place for our warehouse and the right people to help us maintain the highest quality. We finally found our home away from home in TechPlace, which is a community of innovators set up in Brunswick, Maine’s former Navy base. The team there has been incredibly helpful in helping us grow. On the second challenge, we are working to build our network of ambassadors, meaning the community of people who adopted an olive grove and receive a subscription of olive oil, as our most loyal and passionate customers. We are also looking to build ambassadorships in chefs, foodies and bloggers that have similar values as ours to share our product and story with their communities.
Q > Who / what inspires you?
A > My team at Libellula inspires me. I leave every call or brainstorm feeling energized and excited to put our ideas into action. Libellula truly gets me up in the morning and fuels every aspect of my life, and this is largely due to the amazing team we have built. Everyone brings unique skills and perspectives and feels ownership over their own portfolio of work, I think because the Libellula mission and values resonate with each one of us.
Q > How can we encourage a better understanding and the need of cooperation, in order to implement new ways of thinking around sustainability and regenerative agricultural practices? Who can influence change the most?
A > We cannot achieve genuine sustainability without cooperation. This is because the challenges brought about by climate change are systemic and intertwined and too complex for one person to tackle any part of it alone. Understanding the context and system in which we operate means understanding that building alliances with everyone in that system is necessary to achieve results. Anyone can influence change if they understand that a business is better off focusing on collaboration rather than competition.
Q > Which things do you think the people around you often take for granted?
A > The beauty of the sea of trees that cover the hills of olive groves in Sabina. People here have been exposed to this landscape for generations and may not realise the value of the land that is immediately apparent to a visitor. We are working to bring people to the land through Harvest Retreats so they can learn about the Sabina region and participate in the yearly olive harvest in the Fall season. Hopefully seeing how visitors experience the beauty of the region will make locals realize how magical their land truly is.
Q > What’s your favourite recipe or dish that involves olive oil?
A > For me simple is best, and I just love this roasted pepper antipasto with a drizzle of Riserva EVOO.
Q > What does the future hold for you and Libellula?
A > We have lots of exciting things planned this year! For one the Harvest Retreat in the Fall mentioned above, as well as a revamped olive grove adoption programme and a series of virtual olive oil tastings with a professional olive oil judge.
