“Environment and Agriculture for Sustainable Development”. This is the topic addressed by the Christian Democrats at a conference held in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto.
The initiative, now activated also to be able to examine the effects of climate change which, as demonstrated by the recent damage caused by last weekend’s floods, makes political attention even more urgent also towards the world of Agriculture, an essential sector for the economy and life of the country.
The conference, coordinated by the journalist Giovanni Frazzica, aimed to combine Environment, Agriculture and Development, themes that aroused great interest among the public present at the San Vito Auditorium. Councilor Roberto Molino spoke on behalf of the lawyer Pinuccio Calabrò, mayor of Barcelona, and brought greetings from the municipal administration.
Following this, Renato Grassi, national president of the DC, opened the proceedings by stating that the choice of Barcelona as the place in which to begin a discussion on agriculture was not a casual choice as it is a site at the center of an important agricultural hub which sees above all in nurseries and floriculture realities considered to be of excellence both nationally and internationally.
Andrea Messina, Regional Councilor for Local Authorities, expressed the utmost attention of his department and of the Regional Government itself towards the agricultural sector towards which all the necessary commitment will be made. Former senator Domenico Scilipoti underlined that the Catholic world cannot be indifferent to the issues of agriculture which, among other things, produces food for humanity.
Sergio Marini, former national president of Coldiretti and President of the Sustainable Italy Foundation, raised a strong alarm, much appreciated by the audience. “There is a global plan of multinationals and large-scale distribution which tends to concentrate the production and distribution of agricultural products in a few hands – said Marini among other things – All this happens to the detriment of farmers, of consumers who lose the benefit to be able to take advantage of quality products and territories which, with the disappearance of farmers, are condemned to desertification and constitutes an irreversible threat to biodiversity”.
Senator Nino Germanà, regional secretary of the Sicilian League, gave a greeting to the conference attendees and wanted to remember, in homage to Totò Cuffaro, former councilor for agriculture in the Sicilian region, that since he was very young the first party symbols he saw filming in his house were those of the DC.
Antonio Giardina, president of “Europe-Mediterranean Sustainable Development APS” spoke about precision agriculture, digitalisation, soil saving and correct use of water resources. Felice Genovese, former provincial president of the Order of Agronomists, spoke of the great progress made by the agricultural sector in the province of Messina which he was able to record directly from his observation point which in some moments allowed him to give a positive opinion on some interventions of the Region when the councilor was called Cuffaro.
The nurseryman Natale Torre pointed out, in light of his experience, that Italy, despite having excellent production, imports low quality products from abroad introduced onto our markets by multinationals for the lowest price, but this situation does not protect at all the consumer neither in terms of quality nor in terms of health, because it is not known which fertilizers, prohibited in Italy and Europe, are used in some countries that send cheap agricultural products to the Italian markets.
Cristina Ponzio, regional coordinator of the National Association of Italian Lawyers, discussed the issues of the new obligation for entrepreneurs to stipulate insurance contracts for damages resulting from catastrophic events and of the AGRI-CAT National Mutual Fund established in favor of farmers for the coverage of damages from weather and climate events to agricultural production.
Finally, Totò Cuffaro, national secretary of the DC, intervened and stated that the Environment and Agriculture are now an inseparable combination, the effects of climate change must be constantly monitored, without however claiming to be fighting against nature, rather, rather, having the ductility necessary to adapt to new conditions. “The only thing that cannot be given up is water – said Cuffaro – Sicily is an island that can take water from the sea, three watermakers have been planned, perhaps at least ten will be needed, in fact we must not only think to drinking water for homes, but also to use for agriculture and livestock. To improve the livability of the island, also trying to increase oxygen production, it is necessary to start again as soon as possible with reforestation, including that. productive, we must learn to love the forest and make it coexist with the animals, the first sentinels of nature are the farmers and breeders, more effective than certain European regulations, which intend to proceed with the decarbonisation of the territory, but which sometimes appear incomprehensible and inapplicable” .
