Agriculture on the high seas

Towards agriculture, at times, "heartfelt" aspects prevail on the part of Italians: many families who have grandparents and great-grandparents originally from the countryside boast a healthy peasant pride. An important feeling that cannot become the only yardstick for judging the ongoing "tractor" protests. The peasant reality is an important part of society and we need to reflect not in the wake of the "unrest" typical of the period before the elections, but to build the future of the country. Politics useful to citizens requires government choices and common sense to accompany the inevitable transformations, which can only be achieved with an aware public opinion.

It is therefore necessary to overcome some opacities.

1. The "Tractors" often do not coincide with the peasant world: they are minorities, from ten to a few hundred vehicles, often made up of well-known agitators, such as the "pitchforks" and political fringes of various orientations, characterized by regional acronyms and without any coordination.

2. Each fraction makes demands "against something" which from time to time become traditional acronyms such as Coldiretti, environmentalists, European rules, bureaucracy, controls, subsidies, supermarkets or wholesalers, the entry of goods from other countries. All issues that need to be explored in depth and not just punctuated with slogans.

3. This climate has been favored in one part of the country by a certain amount of misinformation (also driven by the traditional acronyms of peasant associations and by the ministry) on issues such as insect flour and "cultivated" meat which would be the "end" of agriculture.

4. The arguments "against Europe" often ignore what Europe and Italy (the Regions) have done and are doing (in terms of subsidies and euros) to give agriculture a future.

To manage an innovative transformation of many economic, social and even environmental aspects, we need to know that it takes time, without delays, and that this issue concerns everyone, not just the rural world. Let's try to take an overall look, going beyond the clamor of the tractor protest.

Europe intervenes in the sector with over 1/3 of the budget: 1210 billion. The CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) will finance interventions aimed at combating the consequences of the climate and environmental crisis with over 386 billion until 2027. Italy receives 37.1 billion from Europe from the CAP to which must be added structural investments from the PNRR with over 8 billion. Within European funds and their rules there are and must be aid, incentives and tax relief to intervene on CO2 emissions from wastewater from large farms; alternative techniques to the abuse of pesticides; to encourage cooperation, youth work, supplementary activities to the camps; to develop organic techniques and real organic companies; to innovate with technological tools that reduce pesticide interventions and water waste; to intervene on irrigation savings (drop by drop); subsidized financing for targeted investments and new hydrogeological structures. We also take into consideration the PNRR funds dedicated to infrastructure (such as water reservoirs) and the diffusion of renewable energy. Non-fundamentalist and non-harmful proposals which however are often presented falsely.

Some examples. 1. The great issue of the 4% uncultivated area that would be "imposed" by Europe. False: 4% of land includes ditches, field edges, hedges, trees, groves, ponds, walls. Places of fauna reproduction, survival of useful insects, pollinators and antagonists of harmful ones. 2. Land rotations imposed by the EU. False: rotating production is essential for fertility and profitability and to avoid impoverishing the soil. 3. Eliminate pesticides. False: encourage the use of less toxic and aggressive pesticides (pesticides) available today, reduce abuse, because they are dispersed on the ground and pollute the groundwater.

Electoral panic and an insufficiently prepared public opinion risk causing us to take serious steps backwards for sustainability, health and the environment. For example, the use of glyphosate has been prolonged by 10 years , suspected of being toxic and carcinogenic, the deadline for pesticide reduction by 2030 has been postponed and the deadline for actions to protect soil fertility has been blocked (47% of soil in Europe is below warning levels, with less of 2% organic matter).

The topic is complex and deserves further study. I'll mention a few: in-depth information on Italian agriculture (companies and production), the truth about fuel subsidies and the IRPEF agricultural tax, the right remuneration for small farmers , the rules instead of speculation in the supply chains, the possible duties on foreign products and the different agricultures in Europe.


Carlo Degiacomi
NP March 2024