Italy: Positive development of land and farmers in 2012

On 31.12.2011, there were 41,811 agricultural producers in Italy - of whom 3,906 also carried out some processing activity. 6,165 enterprises were engaged in processing and distribution and 230 were importers (63 were exclusively importers, while others were also involved in production or processing). On the same date, organic land measured 1,096,089 hectares, of which about 75% had completed the conversion phase. On 31.12.2012, the number of farmers had grown to 43,815 and the land area had increased to 1,167,362 hectares (+6.4%). (Graph by AssoBio: Organic Operators in Italy 2003 - 2013)

The southern regions continue to record the highest number of farms (Sicily, Calabria and Apulia account for more than 47% of the national total) and the northern regions have the greatest number of companies engaged in processing and distribution. Almost 33% are located in Emilia Romagna, Lombardy and Venice. Regarding the farms that also carry out processing, they are more widespread, with over 37% operating between Tuscany, Sicily and Emilia Romagna. (Picture: Tomato harvest in Southern Italy)

The trend line is positive, both for the number of farms and the land area, but the market continues to grow at a higher rate. More than due to competition from imports, this phenomenon is explained by the measures of the European CAP (rural development plans). In fact, the strongest fluctuations in the number of farms was reported in 2004 and coincided with the end of grants provided by Regulation 2078/1992 in Piedmont, Apulia, Sicily and Sardinia, and in 2009 because of the difficulties in starting the new rural development plans in several regions. In 2004, in the four regions mentioned, the number of farms fell from 20,817 to 14,212. This fall of 32% stopped and miraculously the number recovered in the following year: with the reactivation of grants, the number of farms rose by 32.9 %. (Picture: organic farming at Podere Clara in Padova)
 

In 2009, the number of farmers reported in Sardinia was halved (from 2,620 to 1,351), in Trentino South Tyrol it fell by 18.2 % (from 1,492 to 1,220) and in Basilicata by more than 19% (from 4,155 to 3,352 farms). But in the same year, the neighbouring Apulia recorded an increase of 23.3 % (from 5,093 to 6,280 farms) and Sicily saw a plus of 6.1% (from 6,988 to 7,417). These contradictory trends cannot be justified by market dynamics: in the two years under review, sales continued to grow in keeping with the trend line. It is a shift engendered by European funds. (Picture: organic farm visit in Ravenna)

Thus, on the one hand, co-operatives and trading companies complain about the inadequacy of the productive base (demand is growing not only in the home market but even in the export business) and, on the other hand, there is a considerable number of farms which cultivate according to organic methods but are not able to exploit their organic status. Despite prices at farm level being interesting, the supply has difficulty in meeting demand. There are clear reasons for these difficulties: problems of logistics and business structures must not be underestimated, but the real issue is that in addition to certification farms must be accredited, must adapt to GlobalGAP protocols and product standards, and they must adhere to overall crop programming and accept specific control plans. If the farmer is market-oriented and looking for development, it is a logical (and satisfactory) path, but it is a hard task for farms whose interest in organics is stimulated only by European funds. (Picture: a meeting at the Upbio organic farms' stand at SANA)

Over time, the organizational infrastructure and services for organic farms have been paradoxically reduced on account of short-sighted decisions at the national and regional levels. Governments have stopped supporting horizontal or inter-professional organic associations in favour of the mainstream producers’ organizations within the Common Market organization. (Picture: direct marketing of organics in Modena)
 

The significant investment made in recent years through the Rural Development Plans to support and develop national organic production would have to be supported by a specific set of other measures, ranging from consultancy, training, growing facilities and dedicated professionalism, rather than the imposition of unnecessary requirements for access to the funds. The hope is that with the new plans, considering the opportunities offered by new European regulations, the course can be corrected with investment in services and training for operators who have chosen or will choose organic.

Another reason is that the amount of funding is likely to be welcomed by marginal farms, which will be further integrated with low agricultural incomes. But large-scale and professional farms will not be interested - no highly specialized horticulturalist will be encouraged to start the conversion of his farm with the incentive of €300 per hectare, and no modern fruit farm will risk new phytosanitary problems for the sake of €1,600 per hectare. (Picture: growing organic vegetables in the Veneto region)

The problem is that rather than being an instrument to orientate farmers towards more eco-friendly production methods and to support business decisions, the rewards of the CAP have become a welfare tool for marginal farms that are mostly not active in the market. Thus great potential is squandered. The real need is for the CAP resources to support the launch of platforms, to stimulate the aggregation of farms and their networking: it’s the only way to give more stability to the number of organic farms, and it would also recover the organic market products now forced along the uncertain path of the conventional market. (Picture: packing fennel at Pizzi Osvaldo)

Table: Development of organic farming in Italy - 2007 - 2012 

 

	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
Organic land (ha)	903,254	812,139	735,327	821,921	837,107	923,786
Land in conv. (ha)	246,999	190,275	371,357	291,821	259,782	243,575
Total land area (ha)	1,150,253	1,002,414	1,106,684	1,113,742	1,096,889	1,167,362
Farms	45,389	44,556	43,230	41,807	41,811	43,815
Av. size of farms (ha)	25,3	22,5	25,6	26,6	26,2	26,6
Processors	4,841	5,047	5,223	5,592	6,165	5,597
Importers	46	51	53	44	63	297
Total operators	50,276	49,654	48,509	47,663	48,269	49,709