Italian sounding costs 6 million an hour

On the occasion of the presentation in Parma of the Cibus trade fair, a study conducted by the Mra institute on consumption in the USA was recently presented, which reportedly reveals an increase in the consumption of products coming from the "Belpaese".

Italian exports to the USA are set to triple. Provided, however, that the scourge of Italian sounding is healed, which Confagricoltura has tried to quantify, estimating damage to Italian agri-food production equal to 6 million euros an hour, that is, over 50 billion euros a year. For every genuinely Italian product there would be another 3 "counterfeit" ones.

In this regard, Federalimentare hopes for a relaunch of the Institute for Foreign Trade (Ice), increasing the share of the 2012 promotional plan allocated to the food sector, which should —in their view— be raised to 12-15%. But another measure demanded by Federalimentare is of an "informational" kind: an awareness campaign aimed at the very numerous foreign chefs working in the USA, who, with the support of Italian organizations, should be given training on product quality.

The producers' sector therefore put on the brakes with respect to the much-awaited "Food Tax", an idea jointly promoted by the Ministries of Agriculture and Health that would be applied in varying measure to what is commonly defined as junk food. At a time of economic crisis of this kind —the producers state— to further tax food would be a damaging choice" that would risk throwing into crisis the exports that represent the lifeline of the agri-food sector, still in slight growth (+2%) compared with last year.