Quick Take — The Italian organic label is launched

greater value for supply chains and ‘Made in Italy’ products. It will appear alongside the European Union’s organic production logo.

… “In 2025, the positive trend in domestic consumption will strengthen, rising by over 9 per cent compared with the previous year. The value of organic product consumption in Italy will reach 4.4 billion euros (a 9.2 per cent increase on 2024), the highest ever recorded, accounting for 4 per cent of the total value of national agri-food expenditure. Eight regions, together with the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, have already exceeded the European target of 25 per cent of utilised agricultural area under organic farming, which in 2025 accounts for 19.4 per cent of the total national area (2,377,749 hectares). There are, meanwhile, 95,389 organic producers, of whom 85,443 are farms.”

The sector faces many problems: are we putting obstacles in the way of organic farming, whilst encouraging the use of pesticides, and promoting wine, the excessive consumption of which is carcinogenic?

Furthermore, large-scale retailers have trivialised private-label products, stripping them of their value.

The result is that the area converted to organic farming in Italy fell (-5.4 per cent) in 2025, as highlighted by Giuseppe Coletti on LinkedIn.

Labels and advertising – I’m thinking of the pasta adverts – are of no use whatsoever if the sector is, in fact, penalised by a decree that undermines its very survival.

Quick Take — Pasta made from 100% Italian wheat: the Ministry of Agriculture claims it is safer and healthier, but this is not true

From 21 August 2026, Rai channels will be airing the first advert in a new public information campaign dedicated to pasta, produced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests (MASAF), headed by Francesco Lollobrigida, in collaboration with ISMEA and the Italian Volleyball Federation. The stars of the advert are several champions from the men’s and women’s national volleyball teams, and the message is conveyed by some very well-known faces, such as Anna Danesi, Carlotta Cambi, Stella Nervini, Paola Egonu, Simone Giannelli, Daniele Lavia and Riccardo Sbertoli…

The issue with the advert concerns the line spoken by Simone Giannelli, who says:“Don’t just choose based on price: greater safety, better health, more support for our businesses”. Meanwhile, Paola Egonu states:“With pasta made from Italian wheat, Italy wins”.

The link between 100 per cent Italian wheat, greater safety and better health is completely unsubstantiated and entirely incorrect, as it suggests to consumers that there are health benefits which do not exist…

Perhaps, given that Italian durum wheat is sold below cost and that over the past 13 years the area under cultivation has fallen by 10 per cent, whilst the proportion of demand met by domestic production has plummeted from 78 per cent to 56.5 per cent, what was needed was not an advert – paid for with our money – but a serious crackdown on unfair practices (which, as far as I am aware, nobody is carrying out).

Drafted on 27 August, updated on 28 August 2026

Quick Take — Pasta: ‘A crisis of production sovereignty’?

On the one hand, pasta is becoming increasingly popular on markets around the world. On the other hand, however, those who grow the raw material are struggling. According to Confagricoltura, prices for high-quality durum wheat in Italy have fallen below 300 euros per tonne, which is less than the average production costs.

Over the past 13 years, the area under cultivation has shrunk by 10 per cent, whilst the proportion of demand met by domestic production has plummeted from 78 per cent to 56.5 per cent. This is not a market crisis, the farmers’ association claims, but “a crisis of production sovereignty”…

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