A package of proposals to protect producers and consumers while defending and enhancing one of the most representative products of Made in Italy agri-food: extra virgin olive oil.
To present it to the Undersecretary for Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests, Patrizio Giacomo La Pietra, the national president of CNA Agroalimentare, Francesca Petrini, and Elia Pellegrino, national president of Aifo (Italian Association of Oil Mills). Affiliated with CNA Agroalimentare, Aifo is the largest Italian organization of oil millers and is dedicated to the promotion and protection of Italian extra virgin olive oil and the support of the category.
The package opens with a request to the government to facilitate access to credit for companies, who have to start the oil campaign in two months and are faced with steep increases in costs as well as a significant increase in interest rates. Next, the instance of prevent high quality extra virgin olive oil from being considered as a commodity: the aim is to promote in this way the artisan identity of the miller and the master oil maker. Extra virgin olive oil is a healthy food, a bearer of well-being, consequently it must be prevented from falling prey to financial speculation on international markets.
Then, adjust the legislative framework for make the fight against counterfeiting even more timely. Enter legally millers in the PDO/PGI supply chain which at the moment sees only the olive growers present (although the oil is a processed product) and not, precisely, the oil millers/processors. Set up a sustainability label to protect the extra virgin olive oil produced and bottled by artisan mills, as identified by the Apulian regional law No. 9/2014. Ask the European Union to to borrow the approach of the common organization of the wine market for the olive sector. Finally activate a single national commission which detects, in a regulated and transparent way, the indicative prices of extra virgin olive oil.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the president Petrini he expressed full satisfaction with the dialogue undertaken with the ministry which immediately showed attention and sensitivity towards the proposed requests.
