Giansanti (Confagricoltura): "Technologies and more research"
di Francesco Unali
18 July 2022 - Inflation, war and climate change have revealed the risk of a global agricultural crisis. In the world, production is overabundant, but the critical issues come from prices and distribution. Will the Istanbul Agreement be able to avert a food emergency in the coming months? For Massimiliano Giansanti, President of Confagricoltura, "we are already experiencing a food crisis with the blockage of Ukrainian exports, especially in the poorest countries of North Africa, in Syria and in Lebanon. Speculation drove up grain prices. This has brought about great instability in a historically rigid market, with uncertainties and price fluctuations which also affect inflation. Related crises are those of energy supplies and fertilizers obtained from gas processing. If this war continues, we risk globally high prices and local food crises that can lead to social crises".
Meanwhile in Europe “Farm To Fork” aims to build asustainable agriculture, but the new paradigm risks being called into question by the current crises. “I think it is necessary to re-discuss European agricultural policies – continues Giansanti – also because the European Green Deal was born at a time when the Ukrainian crisis, the pandemic or climate change had not emerged. If it is true that agriculture must be increasingly integrated into ecological processes, we must also reflect on the limits of 'Farm To Fork' especially for the productive part. On this I hope, while sustainability remains a priority, that discussions will be opened with the Commission to minimize the distortions that affect 25% of the production capacity of European agriculture. In this historical phase, we cannot afford it".
And in Italy? The concerns of farmers today look to dear energy and the low remuneration. "We have to increase production capacity, - concludes Giansanti - also in the light of the successes we have on international markets, and this will happen if entrepreneurs know how to innovate. We ask to extend the 'Agriculture 4.0' contribution. Farmers must have the best technologies at their disposal. Today, with the Crispr Cas techniques, non-GMO plants can be obtained that are much more resistant to drought and disease, but there is still no European debate on the authorization processes. Among other things, in this field Italy is the leader in the research of these new techniques".
