Italian farmers and consumers are demanding that the government limit foreign durum wheat imports to keep domestic producers in business and ensure greater food security.
“It is time for Food Sovereignty to be transformed from an empty slogan to concrete policies,” said Gennaro Sicolo, deputy chairman of CIA, which reached its target of 50,000 signatures on Tuesday. Although the price of pasta kept rising for various reasons, the cost of wheat fell to 330 euros per tonne from around 600 euros in June 2022, according to CIA, as prices of imported wheat fell.
According to Italy’s leading association of agricultural entrepreneurs, Coldiretti, imports of Ukrainian wheat in particular rose 318 per cent year-on-year between January and February.