WTI Magazine #24    2014 Apr, 04
Author : buonenotizie.it      Translation by:

Organic farming in Italy is confirmed, once again, on the rise and in contrast with other sectors. The trend of organic farming is positive on several fronts: food production increases, sales and exports grow, and consumption of organic food in Italian schools is rising.

According to a recent search for AIAB - Associazione Italiana per l'Agricoltura Biologica (Italian Association for Organic Agriculture), in collaboration with FIRAB - Fondazione Italiana per la Ricerca in Agricoltura Biologica e Biodinamica (Italian Foundation for Research in Organic and Biodynamic Agriculture) and Ismea-Gfk Eurisko, the Italian producers certified organic are almost 50,000, cultivate a total area of 1.2 million hectares of land and have a turnover of more than € 3 billion per year.

In Italy, in the first half of 2013, despite a general decline in food consumption of 3,7%, the consumption of organic products have increased by 8,8%, with a turnover of approximately € 2 billion - a figure that includes retail sales at specialty food stores, mass merchandisers, direct sales from farms, buying groups, catering and other channels.

The positive performance of the organic food recorded on the internal market for the second consecutive year is accompanied by an increase in exports. Italy confirms, once again, to be the first country in Europe for the export of organic products, and among the top exporting countries globally, with sales exceeding one billion euro per year. The European country that buys more Italian organic products is Germany, which imports mainly fruits and vegetables, tomato paste, wine, olive oil and pasta.

Another interesting fact is the growth in the consumption of organic food in Italian schools, which emerges from a second study, carried out by Nomisma/Pentapolis. According to Nomisma, there was an increase of 50% of school sustainable cafeterias throughout Italy, with a supply of over 1.2 million organic meals per year.

The data emerging from this research show that, in spite of the decline in consumer spending and the economic crisis, the choice of Italians buying organic is not so much dependent on the price of organic foods (which are higher of the average), but on the environmental and ethical advantages of organic. Organic farming is recognized as a model of sustainable development, because it is based on the principles of preservation and enhancement of environmental resources in the area, protection of public health and well-being of the animals.

It is a production system that provides consumers with certain guarantees, with environmentally friendly techniques and natural production cycles, able to preserve the biodiversity and produce healthy food and quality. The crop yield is lower than conventional farming (and this affects the final price), but organic foods are free from parasitic, herbicides and pesticides, which may also end up in the groundwater, and do not contain preservatives. For many Italians, it is also important not to eat eggs or steak animals that have never seen the light of the sun.

To support organic farming, therefore, for many consumers means helping to conserve resources and biodiversity, respect the animals and protect the health of all (not only their own but also that of children, farmers and those who do not eat organic). The positive data of biological Italy are clear: those who buy organic, do so primarily to provide for themselves and their children healthy food, free of additives and produced without pesticides and synthetic chemicals, to prevent the destruction of the environment and give a better future to their children.

"These are numbers" said Vincent Vizioli, president of AIAB "which highlight that among consumers –in Italy, in Europe and globally – there is a sharp increase of interest, information, attention and, therefore, question. The bio is not only nutrition, but it also is culture, territory, sustainability, innovation and tradition, solidarity, ethics, research".