“Italian products are safe and good, they can and must be consumed in Italy and worldwide”

Teresa Bellanova, Italian Minister of  Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.

 

The sinister attempt to boycott Italian products that we are witnessing on the shelves of large foreign distribution in these days is the manifestation of one of the many forms of unfair competition against Made in Italy. Yet another unworthy attempt to discredit Italian food and wine excellences, which are unrivaled in the world for quality and variety. The feeling is that the looting of which Italian goods have been the object was there, around the corner, ready to happen with a click! A sort of sabotage machine, to which our Italian companies and producers must be able to react compactly, supported by the strong institutional support at all levels.

If not, we would all risk paying a high price.

“The reputation of the Italian system is not in doubt, the assets on which it is based are not affected: our ability to do business and do it well is the same as always” says Fabrizio Capaccioli – Managing Director of ASACERT and creator of ITA0039 – ” on the other hand, in the short term exports must be supported through an unprecedented global marketing campaign. Only with incisive tools will we be able to counteract the despicable attempts to discredit the excellence of Made in Italy “.

Eating Italian is good, if it is really Italian. Italy boasts the largest number of controls on food and crops. Across Europe Italy creates the healthiest, most sustainable and “chemical-free” products on the planet: 50% less harmful emissions than other European agricultures. Biodiversity is also another all-Italian record, thanks also to the use of organic fertilizers, in the vast majority of crops*. Such are the values that distinguish the Italian agri-food production, which is clamoring to be protected and supported, today more than ever. It is Italian food, more than the Mediterranean diet, the true representative of a better lifestyle, increasing our immune defenses, even at the table.

The health misadventure that we are facing worldwide is undeniable, but as has always happened in the history of humanity, behind every difficulty there is an opportunity for growth (for those who know how to grasp it). In this context of increased chance, the growing number of Italian and foreign citizens for whom the attention to the impact of food on collective health and environment, must be taken into consideration. The theme of food safety and disease prevention (seasonal and non-seasonal) is a path that is also developed through serious and reliable certification systems, aiming at transparency of information, ensuring the genuine Italian authenticity of products and countering the phenomenon of counterfeiting.

The Italian agri-food tradition represents an indisputable icon of eating well and feeling well, it is a guarantee for public health, it must be exported and disseminated with all the means and tools available to us and, why not, by creating new channels of diffusion.

Food, together with artistic and cultural heritage, represents the most identifying Italian element in the world. The attempt to erode the image and the agri-food and wine heritage, in a time of difficulty such as the one we are facing, takes away wealth, employment and growth opportunities for our country. Food and wine represents part of the Italian cultural and identity capital also abroad. ITA0039 is ready to defend it.

 

 

*Ettore Prandini,  Coldiretti President – Coldiretti Villagge of Matera Nov-Dec 2019