Is Italian evo oil in danger? According to Qualivita: “PDO PGI unique contrast to the Ibericization of Italian olive growing.”
This was discussed in Siena during a roundtable with Origin Italia and Consorzi di tutela for urgent action to support the growth of the geographical indications sector.
Only 5 percent of national olive production can be said to be truly Italian, as it comes from a PDO PGI production area. This is the only certainty we have today in the world of extra virgin olive oil, which is increasingly oppressed by counterfeits and imitations, as well as being crushed by what can be called a true “Ibericization” of the product.
This is the message from the panel discussion organized in Siena, during the work of the COI (International Olive Council), by Qualivita Foundation in collaboration with Origin Italia, the Italian Association of Protection Consortia, on the topic of PDOs PGIs in the olive growing sector.
Safeguarding Italian evo oil
Strong call to do more and as soon as possible to safeguard a italian peculiarity, such as that of quality extra virgin olive oil, which is in danger of succumbing to the super-intensive, monovarietal model of Spain, which, with 1,078 million tons of oil produced by 2023, is the world’s largest producer.
Bringing out the demands of the production world were the representatives of the protection consortia, who put on the table, for the attention of policymakers, the knots-from the market, to counterfeiting until the climatic emergencies and phytosanitary – that plague this sector now remains the Cinderella of Italian and European Geographical Indications.
The importance of PDO and PGI awards.
“PDO PGI is not just a brand name, as many operators believe or make believe. There is much more behind this, starting with the choice (often the recovery) of local cultivars, grown with a planting pattern designed for the plant and a precise stage and timing of processing. PDO PGI is also synonymous with respect and protection for the landscape and represents a fair and equitable remuneration for olive growers,” Fondazione Qualivita Director Mauro Rosati stressed in his speech.
Of course doing super intensive as in Spain creates much more value to the industrial entrepreneur, but as Sistema Italia so we lose everything else, which is worth much more than the turnover of a single large company: this is what the model of the Protection Consortia and member companies represents, which until now, as reiterated at the States General in Siena, has been the only real brake on the ibericization of our olive production system.”
The word from the protection consortia
As mentioned, some of the most representative consortiums for the protection of the sector took part in the discussion table, starting with theTuscan PGI Oil Consortium, which with its president, Fabrizio Filippi, stressed how the ICQRF’s increased controls, thanks to Masaf’s control booth and its increased collaboration with the Protection Consortia, have raised the level of attention from the retail sector, especially in so-called “below the line” communication, thus with evocations of territories of origin, but without the presence of a GI.
“We will also be helped in this process of educating the consumer and enhancing the identification of PDO PGI products by the restaurant industry and large-scale retail trade,” said Mario Taurasi, president of the Sicily PGI Protection Consortium.
“GI oils represent a fundamental element for the protection of national olive biodiversity and at the same time for their environmental, social and economic sustainability,” is the message of Giorgio Lazzeretti, Director of the Consorzio di Tutela Riviera Ligure DOP.
“And in order to combat climate change, thus defend Italian PDO PGI productions that cannot relocate production, given the production problems of the last few olive growing years, we need to focus more and more on process innovation and research,” is what he stressed instead Maria Viola Bonafini of the Garda DOP Oil Consortium.
“We are committed alongside the Protection Consortia,” he remarked in this regard. Francesco Soro, CEO of the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato – to defend the territories and the work of producers through our anti-counterfeiting systems; in fact, as is already the case with wine, oil can be better protected with the new systems that as an Institute we provide for Italian agriculture.”
The numbers of the industry
There are 50 PDO PGIs of extra virgin olive oil in Italy, numbers that are European records. From the terraces of Liguria to the hills of Umbria or Tuscany, from the plains of Puglia to the valleys of Sicily, from the slopes of the mountains of Abruzzo to the lakes of Lombardy, Italy’s extra virgin olive oil is expressed by more than 500 varieties of olives.
The 24 protection consortia recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry coordinate the work of some 23,500 workers employed in the sector. However, as mentioned, PDO PGI-certified production is now equivalent to 5 percent of total national production, with great potential for growth that could be the key factor in revitalizing a true Italian supply chain and combating Ibericization.
