The dismissal of the Xylella-related legal proceedings closes one of the most controversial and painful chapters in Italian olive growing history. This move refocuses an objective fact: the phytosanitary emergency was not a fabrication, but a reality that severely impacted local communities, businesses, and workers.
The underlines Aifo – Italian Association of Olive Oil Mills following the order of the preliminary investigations judge of the Court of Bari which has the unfounded accusation against a gentleman like Donato Boscia has been definitively archived.
“Parallel – the millers continue – the recent Mediobanca report that photographs the decline in olive production in Italy It certifies what has been happening in the supply chain for years: a structural contraction of available raw materials, with direct effects on processing, industrial planning and the economic viability of the mills."
The two pieces of news, read together, paint a clear picture for AIFO. On the one hand, the season of legal controversy has come to an end; on the other, the central question remains: how to rebuild and strengthen the national production base.
For millers, the issue isn't theoretical. Fewer olives mean smaller volumes to process, higher processing costs per quintal, and greater difficulty in planning investments and commercial contracts. The mill isn't just a technical link in the supply chain, but an economic and social pillar in rural areas. Where production declines, the entire system weakens.
“The archiving of the Xylella affair is an important step because it re-establishes a principle: phytosanitary emergencies must be addressed with scientific rigor and institutional responsibility – stated the Aifo president Alberto Amoroso - Now, however, we must look forward. We welcome the work on the multi-year olive oil plan that Undersecretary Senator Patrizio La Pietra is working on, and we welcome the €300 million earmarked for the olive oil sector in the "Coltiva Italia" program. These are concrete signs. But we must transform these resources into rapid, structural interventions capable of truly strengthening national production and ensuring stability for olive oil millers.
That's the point: We need policies that combine replanting, varietal innovation, plant modernization, supply aggregation, and effective phytosanitary defense tools.Without a solid agricultural base, even the most innovative mills risk operating at reduced capacity, with consequences for the competitiveness of the Italian system.
Italy, AIFO emphasizes, remains a global benchmark for the quality of extra virgin olive oil, but cannot afford to decline in production. The structural reduction in available olives exposes the country to greater dependence on foreign markets and weakens its bargaining power along the supply chain. "The era of ideological conflict must give way to shared planning. Olive oil mill workers demand clear rules, clear timelines, and a medium- to long-term vision. Because without olives, there is no oil. And without olive mills, there is no supply chain."
