WITH THE VINEYARD ERADICATIONS FORESEEN BY THE EUROPEAN UNION’S NEW CMO ITALY RISKS LOSING 90,000 HECTARES AND 45,000 BUSINESSES. VINCENZO AITA OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AGRICULTURAL COMMISSION LAUNCHES THE ALARM IN RESPONSE TO SECTOR REFORMS

If the measure to “grub up” 200,000 hectares of vineyards in Europe (which is the plan according to the new CMO set to go into effect on July 4) is passed there could be grave consequences for Italy. According to Vincenzo Aita of the European Agricultural Commission, who spoke at the ‘Terra Futura’ conference held recently in Florence, “In Italy, we risk losing 90,000 hectares of vineyards and 45,000 out of the 60,000 winemaking companies that currently exist”. Aita also noted that in occupational terms the measures would create an average of about 800 hours of work lost for each hectare of vineyard lost, causing great repercussions for sector workers.