CIA and AIAB react to the new scandal

Despite the crisis, organic food continues to grow steadily in terms of consumption and turnover. But precisely because of its appeal, it increasingly becomes the target of fraud and sophistication. This is why operations such as that of the Pesaro Guardia di Finanza and the Fraud Suppression Inspectorate of the Ministry of Agriculture are important. Now more than ever, it is necessary to keep high attention on the sector, intensifying controls, especially on products imported from third countries that are not equivalent. This is stated by the CIA - Italian Farmers Confederation, which applauds the maxi-seizure this morning, April 11, which led to the confiscation of 1,500 tons of Ukrainian soybeans, corn and soft wheat falsely certified as organic but high in GMOs and 30 tons of soybeans from India and contaminated with pesticides. In our country, spending on organic food increased by 7.3 percent in 2012, marking the seventh consecutive trend increase - underlines the CIA - and today 75 percent of Italians say they buy organic products at least once a month. Thus fueling a business that is worth about 3 billion euros in Italy, but which worldwide has reached 55 billion dollars a year. But precisely because it is a constantly expanding market, the organic sector has started to appeal to mafias and 'food scam professionals', ready to falsify cards and certificates in order to grab a piece of them. For this reason, today it is necessary to work on the rules and provide for market control measures. For his part, Alessandro Triantafyllidis, president of AIAB, commented: 'This food fraud has highlighted the well-known weaknesses of the sector, on which it is necessary to intervene as soon as possible: the lack of effectiveness of the Control Bodies on the import front and the lack of border surveillance by the European Union on products imported from non-EU countries, recognized as equivalent to European rules. Issues that must push us increasingly to develop fully organic national supply chains to support our farmers and guarantee citizens safe organic products. ' 'In light of what has emerged with this food fraud - added Triantafyllidis - it is now increasingly evident the need for a reform of the control system, for greater supervision by the Ministry and a commitment on the part of the European Union to effectively monitor non-EU borders. If companies and people already involved in other fraud are highlighted, they should no longer be given the opportunity to operate in this sector. It becomes our country's absolute priority, as part of the CAP negotiations, to guarantee resources and tools to create national organic cereal chains and to promote a national plan for the production of vegetable proteins, such as soybeans, in support of GMO-free supply chains, with priority indication, aimed at the organic sector within the framework of a progressive emancipation from the use of imported protein feeding'.

Source: www.greenplanet.net