On 3/31/22 the European Commission rejected as ‘insufficient’ the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for the implementation of the new CAP in Italy. (1) The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy-already the subject of lively criticism for its lack of support for the ecological transition (2)-has been declined even worse by the MiPAAF.
Therefore, Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski called on the Italian government to consult all stakeholders-rather than just follow the orders of Coldiretti’s magic circle, read between the lines (3)-and subject the NSP to a substantive review, which must extend to the measures in the NRP. #CleanSpades.
1) National Strategic Plan CAP, rejection in Brussels.
The National Strategic Plan (NSP) for implementing the new CAP, sent by MiPAAF to the European Commission, was assessed as unsuitable to achieve the common goals. For a number of shortcomings already reported, for the most part, by the Italian Rural Association (ARI). In his communications to the partnership table, as well as in a note sent to the European Commissioner. (4)
2) SOCIAL INEQUITY AND OPACITY
2.1) Allocation of financial resources
The most severe criticism pertains to the allocation of financial resources:
– Lack of subsidies for small producers and peasant agriculture,
– Lack of specific resources for disadvantaged areas,
– little convergence to rebalance the unfair distribution of contributions among all claimants,
– Lack of transparency in how income support is proposed to be applied,
– Low effectiveness of proposed measures to help young people,
– Little clarity in the figures, in general terms.
2.2) Social conditionality and caporalism
Social conditionality-i.e.,eligibility for publicsubsidies only by respecting fundamental rights-to be activated as early as 1.1.23, according to the European Commissioner for Agriculture is itself totally inadequate in the Italian government’s proposal.
‘Given the very high rate of irregularities (over 55 percent) found in the Italian agricultural sector in this field, it is essential to address this issue to ensure the economic stability, competitiveness and social sustainability of Italian farms.’ (1)
3) DISTORTED ECOLOGICAL TRANSITION
The Coldiretta ‘ecological transition’ is distorted to serve sectors that have nothing to do with agriculture, as this writer has already denounced in comments to the NRP. (3) The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development reiterates the point. #CleanSpades.
3.1) Unsuitable environmental measures
The environmental measures defined by MiPAAF are unsuitable, according to the European Commission:
– the proposed measures are uncertain, undefined and lacking in crucial areas. From protection of soils and pollinators, biodiversity and crop rotation, ecoschemes, pastures and antimicrobial resistance, etc,
– the goals lack outcome indicators, as well as being unambitious. When not completely useless for the purpose (corn for fodder and grain, animals per hectare, pruning and burning of olive tree prunings), as also already reported by many environmental organizations,
– the ‘agrisolar park’ to which the bulk of the funds allocated by the PNRR to ‘sustainable agriculture’ is devoted (€1.5 out of €2.8 bn. See footnote 3) is itself problematic ‘as its actual feasibility and effectiveness have yet to be verified, including in terms of potential negative impacts on land use and productivity‘.
3.2) Irrigation water, the uncontrolled squandering.
‘Italy is invited to provide more details on interventions for the water resources management, including expected results in terms of reducing pressure on water and achieving the WFD targets by 2027, explaining consistency with the watershed management plan most recent available. Support that involves an increase in irrigated areas cannot be considered an adaptation measure.
Italy is recommended to strengthen measures related to the reduction of water consumption and to support natural water retention and water reuse measures that are relevant and in line with the Water Framework Directive, Regulation (EU) 2020/741, and relevant links to Directive 91/271/EEC. Contributions from other funds should be described in detail‘ (1,5).
4) BIOSAFETY
African swine fever threatens to undermine both the strategic PDO ham supply chains and the hundreds of small Apennine farms whose modus operandi is based on high quality on a small scale. Blockchain-guaranteed biosecurity protocols should be developed, as this writer has proposed at the time, rather than just pulling the short blanket of ‘regionalization’. (6)
‘Given the recent cases of African swine fever in northern Italy, Italy is invited to consider including targeted intervention to limit the spread of the disease and improve biosecurity of pig farms, targeted advisory services or knowledge sharing and risk management.’
5) European priorities in agriculture
5.1) CAP, Farm to Fork.
EU priorities on the Common Agricultural Policy (EU reg. 2021/2115) unfortunately have to deal with the conflict in Ukraine and the war economy (7,8). Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski also stresses that food security (security of food supply) must come through eco-agriculture and reduction of inputs in agriculture.
The EU Farm to Fork Strategy thus re-proposes itself as the way forward for supply chain resilience and ‘Sufficient food supply at affordable prices for all citizens in all situations while making the transition to sustainable food systems.’ As the more than 400 scientists gathered by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research had suggested. (9)
5.2) Resilience
Resilience is the key word, in the premises of the European censure of the smoky Italic NDP. ‘In this context, and in the context of the climate and biodiversity crisis, member states should review their CAP strategic plans to take advantage of all opportunities to:
– Strengthen the resilience of the EU agricultural sector,
– reduce dependence on synthetic fertilizers and increase the production of renewable energy without compromising food production, and
– transform its production capacity in line with more sustainable production methods.
This involves, among other things, actions to support carbon sequestration in agricultural soils, support agroecological practices, promote sustainable production and use of biogas, improve energy efficiency, expand the use of precision agriculture, enhance protein crop production, and spread the widest possible application of best practices through knowledge transfer.‘ (1)
6) Interim conclusions. #CleanSpades
The Italian government-following the comments mentioned above-will have to provide the European Commission with all the necessary additional information and ‘revise the content of the CAP strategic plan‘ (according to EU Reg. 2021/2115, Article 118.3).
‘The Commission calls on Italy to ensure the establishment of a well-functioning partnership and continuous dialogue with all stakeholders in the implementation phase.’
The Italic shame is there for all to see but no one takes action to solve it. A power group – dubbed ‘the Coldiretti magic circle’ by the writer – in Italy commands agribusiness policies for its own primary benefit. With no glimmer for democratic governance, the common good, justice. (10) Until when?
#CleanSpades
Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) European Commission. Comments on the CAP strategic plan submitted by Italy. Ares(2022)2416762. 3/31/22, https://bit.ly/3JwQtdE
(2) Marta Strinati. CAP post-2022, the failure of the ecological transition in agriculture. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 11/24/21, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/mercati/pac-post-2022-il-fallimento-della-transizione-ecologica-in-agricoltura
(3) Dario Dongo. National pesticide action plan, sustainable agriculture and NRP. #CleanSpades. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 4.2.22, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/sicurezza/piano-di-azione-nazionale-pesticidi-agricoltura-sostenibile-e-pnrr-vanghepulite
(4) Assorural. The CAP in Italian sauce: the European Commission does not like it. Neither do we. Press release 11.4.21. https://www.assorurale.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022-04-11-CS-PSN-e-commenti-CE.pdf
(5) Dario Dongo, Giulia Torre. Agricultural wastewater, public health and food safety. EU rules and the Italian disaster. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 2.3.22, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/sicurezza/acque-reflue-in-agricoltura-salute-pubblica-e-sicurezza-alimentare-le-regole-ue-e-il-disastro-italiano
(6) See last paragraph article Dario Dongo. African swine fever, first export bans for Made in Italy cured meats. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade). 17.1.22, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/mercati/peste-suina-africana-primi-divieti-all-export-per-i-salumi-made-in-italy
(7) Dario Dongo. Food security, thesis and antithesis of the European Parliament. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade). 3/27/22, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/food-security-tesi-e-antitesi-del-parlamento-europeo
(8) Dario Dongo, Maria Rosaria Raspanti. War economy. State aid in agribusiness, European fisheries fund, record high food prices. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 8.4.22, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/mercati/war-economy-aiuti-di-stato-nel-settore-agroalimentare-fondo-europeo-per-la-pesca-record-dei-prezzi-alimentari
(9) Dario Dongo. From Farm to Fork to Farm to War, science’s call for a resilient food strategy. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade). 22.3.22, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/da-farm-to-fork-a-farm-to-war-l-appello-della-scienza-per-una-strategia-alimentare-resiliente
(10) Exemplary at last is the denial by the Council of State of the conflict of interest of the director general of AGEA instead affirmed precisely by European Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski. See the article by Dario Dongo. CAA, Council of State rejects freelancers. #CleanSpades. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 1.4.22, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/caa-il-consiglio-di-stato-boccia-i-liberi-professionisti-vanghepulite
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
