President Meloni’s message of greeting to the IX economic conference of ‘Cia-Agricoltori Italiani’

Good morning everyone.
I wish to greet and thank the President of ‘Cia-Agricoltori Italiani’ (‘CIA’) [Italian Farmers’ Confederation], Cristiano Fini, for the invitation. I apologise that I am unable to attend CIA’s ninth economic conference, but I nevertheless wanted to send my contribution. My greetings go to the Ministers, European Commissioner for Agriculture Wojciechowski and the representatives of the institutions and economic categories who will be attending your two-day event. I of course also wish to greet all CIA delegates present.

This Government is particularly committed to Italy’s food and agricultural sector, which brings such prestige to our nation with its excellent products that are famous around the world. This sector also carries out crucial work to safeguard the land and preserve the landscape, thanks to its commitment to counter the abandonment of rural areas and hydrogeological instability. Defending and strengthening the solidity of Italy’s agri-food system means defending a priceless heritage that is rooted in the age-old relationship between Italy’s local areas, culture and products.
This is why we decided to set food sovereignty as one of our priorities. We did this for two reasons: we want to defend a nation’s right to choose its own production model and we believe it is right to fight attempts to standardise food products on a global scale. This is why we opposed the Nutri-Score, which is now off the European agenda, at least until the end of 2024, and is also why we have fought against the penalisation of wine and meat products.

The Government will assert Italy’s position on all strategic matters. Take the new rules regarding geographical indications for example: we are asking for existing safeguards to be strengthened and for an enhancement of the system that has made Italy Europe’s leading country for quality products. On another matter regarding the European Union, we intend to implement the new Common Agricultural Policy spending the EUR 35 billion available to Italy over the next five years quickly and well.
We made the commitment to ensure greater food security, greater quality and greater competitiveness for our production chains and to create more employment, and we intend to pursue it. We are only at the beginning, but we have already implemented various measures during these first 100 days in office: from reducing tax and social security contributions for young farmers to the fund for technological innovation, from extending ‘employment vouchers’ to providing support for new agricultural businesses. That is without forgetting the work we are doing to strengthen the fight against counterfeiting and the imitation of Made in Italy food and agricultural products, which cost our entrepreneurs billions of euros each year in lost earnings.

Italy’s agri-food system is strong and healthy; in 2022, it recorded exports in excess of EUR 60 billion. However, we believe that even more significant milestones can be reached. We have established an Interministerial Committee for ‘Made in Italy products around the world’ in order to develop a global strategy, applicable to all production sectors, to promote our top-quality products and expertise. 
The food and agricultural sector is an economic, social and cultural pillar of the ‘Italian system’. A patriotic government such as ours cannot but consider it strategic and fundamental to relaunch Italy’s development and growth. The Government stands by farmers, as indeed it stands by everyone who rolls up their sleeves every day to make this nation great again.

Have a great day and I wish you all the best with your work.

[Courtesy translation]