n.436

Coldiretti’s strategy on US tariffs resembles the one – half-hearted – on extra virgin olive oil


"The government should immediately put in place a relevant communication plan to enhance our production in America. We will not be able to shift the axis of our target markets any time soon. And we cannot give up on the USA'. It is a pity that the plan for the communication of Made in Italy food has been 'in the works' for years with poor results. Coldiretti's strategy resembles that on extra virgin olive oil where , for example, there is much talk - Coldiretti's post below is from last month - of combating unfair practices but for which absolutely nothing has been done.

Coldiretti
 

n.431

Europe hit by strong heatwaves


France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Turkey have been hit by strong heat waves with 'extreme heat and drought'. After the current pause, the waves will resume from 12 July onwards, at least in Italy. Temperatures are very high in the Mediterranean Sea and river flows are at their lowest. We recall the situation in Sicily, which is partly without water. On the seas read: The rise in temperature of European seas since the late 1970s Compiled on 6 July, updated on 7 July 2025

Climate changeWater
 

n.430

Carrefour Italy announces a ‘strategic reorganisation plan for its headquarters’


'Employment impacts' for 175 employees On this subject, read this article, an excerpt of which I enclose: Carrefour is reported to have begun negotiations with Conad, Lidl and Esselunga to sell off the entire network (the news is confirmed by Repubblica on 6 July 2025: ' The decision is closely linked to the complexity of market conditions in Italy, where the large-scale retail sector is characterised by intense and fragmented competition, declining purchasing power and constant pressure on margins, caused by energy and logistics costs and rising interest rates'). Then there is the squeeze of the discounters that are advancing and there are the hypermarkets that continue to retreat. Compiled 5 July, updated 6 July 2025

CarrefourConadDiscountEsselungaLidl
 

n.427

Half a million foreign workers in Italy in three years, but the number does not solve the delays in the camps


"...The main agricultural associations, from Coldiretti to Confagricoltura, express satisfaction with the three-year planning, but remain critical on the operational front."To date, few workers have entered Italy after the click day in February, while harvesting operations have already begun months ago," reads a note from Confagricoltura. Coldiretti calls for the possibility of submitting applications at any time of the year, with the support of the trade associations, to truly respond to seasonal needs. Because the point, they all say, is not how many workers arrive, but when'. We were already talking about this in 2020, at the time of Covid-19, in " The future of the Italian agri-food chain must be built together. With Mario Gasbarrino "

AgricultureColdirettiCovid-19
 

n.425

US: e-commerce from China, users drop


Temu's monthly active users, a measure of engagement on its app, plummeted 51 per cent to 40.2 million in the US between March and June, according to data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower. The number of US shoppers using Shein's app also dropped over the same period, though not as dramatically. The fast fashion retailer recorded a 12% drop in monthly active users to 41.4 million, according to Sensor Tower. Shein and Temu pioneered a new e-commerce model that revolutionised the retail industry across the western world over the past five years...

E-CommerceNon-food