Bioregione 2006 – AIAB Publishes a Report on Italian Regions

As reported by Bioagriculturanotizie, the results of “Bioregione 2006” were presented in Rome on May 17 this year. “Bioregione” was the first organic classification in Italy held by AIAB. The goal of these researches and the presentation is to give a detailed view about the situation of organic matters in Italy’s regions, showing assets and shortcomings. Parameters for this research were the percentage of organic farmland (stated at 25 %), the number of agricultural companies (20 %), producers (20 %) and importers (6 %) present on the territory of the region, the number of organic school cafeterias (7 %), the communes which are gm free (3 %) and the number of agrotourism facilties (2 %), which plays an important role especially in the Toscana, DOP and IGP products (2 %), markets and fairs (1 %), policies of development and information campaigns (7 %) and the support of commercialization (7 %).

Of the total farmland in Italy, the share of the organic area is about seven to eight percent. Organic farmland is mainly found on the Italian islands and in the centre of the south. Sardegna is leader when it comes to the organic share with 18.96 % (193,484 of 1,020,411 ha). It is followed by Sicilia with 14.70 % (188,380 of 1,281,656 ha), Toscana with 9.88 % (84,731 of 857,698 ha), Lazio with 9.28 % (67,288 of 724,751 ha), Marche with 9.14 % (46,364 of 507,180 ha) and Calabria with 9.12 % (50,917 of 588,222 ha). The lowest share of organic farmland can be found in Veneto with 2.10 % (17,920 of 852,743 ha and Friuli V.G. with 1.28 % (3,052 of 238,124 ha).

The highest number of organic agricultural companies, however, is found in the North and in the centre of Italy. Of all agricultural companies in Italy, their share is about two percent. Emilia Romagna has 4,026 companies working with organic standard of a total of 105,889, which equals to 3.80 %, followed by Marche with 2,190 organic companies of a total of 65,426, which equals to 3.35 %.

As it comes to a total results including the parameters above, Emilia Romagna reached the first place (8.32 points); the second place went to the Toscana (8.01), followed by Marche (6.86), Umbria (6.76), Trentino Alto Adige (6.46) and Lombardia (6.11). The last two places went to Friuli V.G. (2.93) and Campania (2.18).
Though Italy is the first organic producer in Europe, there is still a need for a strategic plan and a specific policy of development with a co-ordination between the politicians of the different regions.

http://www.aiab.it/home/bioedicola/ban/archivio_biogricultura_notizie/bn_2006/B@N%2006_18/allegati_n_18/Bioregione%20com%20sta.pdf
http://www.aiab.it/home/bioedicola/ban/archivio_biogricultura_notizie/bn_2006/B@N%2006_18/allegati_n_18/Presentazione%20Bioregione.pdf