THE ITALIAN FOOD SECTOR ‘MAFIA’ COSTS CONSUMERS 7.5 BILLION EUROS

Criminal rackets that control Italy’s food production sector are skimming 7.5 billion euros from consumers. This was the recent confirmation made by Italian agricultural organization Coldiretti in response to a report made by Confcommercio based on data released by the National Antimafia Command (DNA).

Coldiretti explained what the consequences were for an agricultural system that has been subjected to increased machinery thefts, rackets, cattle rustling, extortion, even in the form of imposing specific workers or transportation services, etc., as well as fraud through EU funds and illegal low wage labor hired through agencies.

Among the phenomena that are most worrisome – noted Coldiretti – is the control organized crime has on the distribution and transportation systems for food, above all for meat and vegetables. This damages operators and causes anomalous increases in prices for consumers. This behavior, especially when it occurs within markets where national production is concentrated causes distorting effects on the entire national market and, in consequence, they contribute to the unjustifiable increases in prices for the consumer, a consequent decrease in consumption of national products, and a contraction of exports.

Coldiretti also notes that there has been an increase in cattle rustling, with 100,000 animals stolen per year, as well as an increase in usury aggravated by recent unfavorable conditions in certain areas, acts of vandalism connected to extortion, and an incredibly high number of tractors and farm equipment that are being “repossessed”.
According to the Antimafia Command, organized crime within the agriculture sector has a greater impact on the goods produced and the freedom of the people involved because, unlike urban organized crime, it profits from the isolated conditions of workers and the lack of at-hand police intervention.

Coldiretti believes that it is necessary to work on overcoming this situation of isolation by inverting trends of dismantling the security presence in these areas, as well as giving incentives for the role representative associations have with public administration, because the lack of dialogue undoubtedly creates problems when trying to repress organized crime.

Coldiretti concludes that it is unacceptable that a sector, which has chosen the path of attention to food and environmental safety, is victim of a disturbing phenomenon like organized crime that humiliates people and their work and puts the safety of citizens at risk in both economic and health terms.

And, fundamentally, the quality of “Made in Italy” goods depends on the quality and transparency of the production processes.