Regional and local marketing of non- GMO quality products Workshop

Transcription

1 GMO free regions and biodiversity Conference Regional and local marketing of non- GMO quality products Workshop Luca Colombo Consiglio dei Diritti Genetici Genetic Rights Council, Italy

2 Regional and local marketing of non-gmo quality products Range: Geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs (EU Regulation 2081/92) Typical and traditional productions Organic and biodinamic produce Mountain product (new denomination in Italy for PDOs and PGIs) Slow Food Presidia

3 Quality products under Reg. 2081/92 Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 on the protection of geographical indications (PGI) and designations of origin (PDO) for agricultural products and foodstuffs No mention of bans for transgenic organisms in the Regulation

4 Italian products under Reg. 2081/92

5 A few famous citations Cheeses Gorgonzola (Lombardy, Piemonte) Grana Padano (Lombardy, Piemonte, Veneto, Trentino, Emilia-Romagna) Mozzarella di Bufala Campana (Lazio, Campania) Parmigiano Reggiano (Emilia-Romagna) Pecorino Sardo (Sardinia) Fruit, vegetables and cereals San Marzano tomatoes from Agro Samese-Nocerino (Campania) Pantelleria capers (Sicily) Sorrento lemons (Campania) Processed meats Parma ham (Emilia-Romagna) San Daniele ham (Friuli-V.G.)

6 Economic importance of European protection Cheeses and meat preparations far outnumber - in value - other PDOs and GPIs representing 98.3% of economic turnover in 2001.

7 PDO cheeses are the core of the national dairy production PDO meat preparations are of relative importance for livestock productions Economic importance of European protection

8 PDOs, GMOs and animal feed soybean maize

9 Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano cases 1. Parmigiano (Parmesan): from 3 provinces in Emilia Romagna Quality as a whole : hindering the development of extra quality lines: e.g. non-gmo, Organic, Reggiana cow milk (local landrace instead of Holstein) Recent change of production protocol excluding chimase obtained from GM bacteria, BUT not excluding GM animal feed 2. Grana: from the entire Padana plain Trentingrana brand (Trentino province): is a non-gm Grana, but it is not marketed as such in order to avoid putting the blame on the bulk of Grana production Production (.000 tonn.) Common problems: no protein plan and no agricultural research to replace soybean in animal feed Field bean Bean Pea Chick pea Lentil Lupin Vetch Total Soybean

10 Lazio region case PDOs and PGIs already registered in EU Category Product Reference to non-gmo Meat Vitellone Bianco dell Appennino Centrale (PGI) Cheese Mozzarella di Bufala Campana (PDO) Pecorino Romano (PDO) Pecorino Toscano (PDO) Fruit and Carciofo Romanesco (PGI) vegetables Kiwi Latina (PGI) Olive oil Canino (PDO) Sabina (PDO) Processed meats Mortadella di Bologna (PGI) Salamini italiani alla cacciatora (PDO) Bakery products Pane Casareccio di Genzano (PGI)

11 Lazio region case pending PDOs and PGIs in Bruxelles (with national transitional protection) or in Rome Category Product Reference to non-gmo Meat Vitellone della maremma (PGI) YES Abbacchio Romano (PGI) YES Cheese Pecorino Picinisco (PDO) YES Ricotta Romana (PDO) YES Caseus Romae PDO YES Fiordilatte dell Appennino Meridionale (PDO) Fruits and Oliva di Gaeta PDO vegetables YES Sedano Bianco di Sperlonga PGI Fagiolo Cannellino di Atina PDO Nocciola Romana PDO Castagna Reatina PGI Castagna di Vallerano PDO Castagna dei Monti Cimini PDO Olive oil O lio Tuscia PD O N O Olio extra vergine Colline Pontine PDO Olio extra vergine Soratte PDO Olio extra vergine Terre Tiburtine PDO Processed meat Porchetta di Ariccia PGI Prosciutto Amatriciano PGI Fish Trota del Reatino PGI YES

12 Italian EU patent Directive transposition (not completed as of January 2005) The project law foresees under Letter s) that the patent applicant must obtain the prior opinion of the Ministry of Agriculture in the case where the patent request is made for the use or modification of genes of Italian conservation varieties, or of organic material referred to in the protocols adopted in Italy in conformity with Regulations 2081/92 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs. The Ministry must express its opinion after consultation with the interested producers' associations within ninety days of the reception of the patent request.

13 Italian wines

14 Italian quality wines Project law in the Italian Chamber: changes of the regulation on origin denomination of quality wines Art. 1. Use of origin denominations (DOC, DOCG, IGT) is not allowed in case of utilisation of GM grape varieties

15 Years Number of farms Hectars,000 Organic farming in Italy

16 Organic farming worldwide Source: Sol-Survey, 2003 Country Hectars of agricultural surface Australia 10,500,000 Argentina 3,192,000 Italy 1,230,000 USA 950,000 UK 679,631 Uruguay 678,481 Germany 632,165 Spain 485,079 Canada 430,600 France 419,750 China 301,295 Austria 285,500 Brazil 275,576 Country Italy 56,440 Indonesia 45,000 Mexico 34,862 Uganda 28,200 Peru 19,685 Turkey 18,385 Austria 18,292 Spain 15,607 Brazil 14,866 Germany 14,703 Dominican Rep. 12,000 France 10,364 USA 6,949 Greece 6,680 Switzerland 6,169 India 5,661 Number of organic farms

17 Organic Market and marketing channels for organic produce Country Per caput consumptium (in US $) Supermarket Specialised retailers Direct sell Denmark 114 Switzerland 95 Austria 49 Sweden 45 The Netherlands 38 Germany 30 USA 28 France 21 Japan 20 Italy 19 UK 15 Sources: Itc, Sol, USDA, FAO Spain 5% 90% 5% Denmark 30% 49% 21% Austria 66% 22% 12% UK 80% 11% 9% Switzerland 60% 30% 10% France 47% 43% 10% The Netherlands 45% 51% 4% Germany 69% 19% 12% Italy 45% 45% 10% Source: The specialized trade for organic products in Europe, Synergie, 2002

18 New (tentative) trends in organic marketing Short circuits: Direct sell in the farm or in local markets and fairs Solidal Buying Groups (Gruppi di Acquisto Solidale) The GODO (organised groups of supply and demand) campaign: relevant focus on GMOs AIAB (main national organic association) has a desk and a toll free number for consumers and farmers interested in networking

19 Organic agriculture and GMOs 1. Main concern for organic productions: Soybean and animal feed AIAB (main national organic association) proposed a moratorium on soybean for organic farms No research (and sufficient production) of alternative protein sources 2. Other current and future serious problems: Seed contamination (contaminations already occurred at minor extent with maize) European plan of action (thresholds) Coexistence 3. Analytical tests: Certification bodies deny certificates with >0.1% contamination Technical regulation imposing an annual updated database with GM analytical responses

20 Traditional and typical agri-food products in Italy Products with a protected designation of origin or geographical indication represent only a small part of Italy s traditional foods: the national register of traditional agri-food products published by the Ministry for Agricultural lists in 2004 some 4,006 products. No constant strict linkage between the product and the genetic resource from which it originates

21 Slow Food Presidia and traditional foods The Slow Food Presidia Project: Italy: 200 presidia World: 65 presidia, in 30 countries Technical assistance (consultancy of veterinarians, agronomists etc.) Stabilization of a rigorous production protocol to guarantee quality and authenticity Creation of a cooperative of farmers Promotion through Slow Food publications Assistance in marketing

22 A Slow Food Presidium acts as a cultural matrix, bringing together territory and product, typicality and quality, in which the term environment finds its clearest expression as the context of life in the local community. - excerpt from study by Bocconi University, 2002 In Italy, from , the growth in market share Presidia projects far outpaced that of sector growth. Of 54 Presidia studied in six areas of production in the two years studied, average growth was as follows: Quantities sold: +63.5% Price per unit: +32.6%

23 Genetic engineering for quality products Authors and editor of the book among the most outspoken biotech supporters GMOs are a logical solution for quality products at risk No real impact on GM debate, despite sponsored by the President of the Ag. Committee in the Chamber Reg. 2081/92 quote on PDOs - PGIs: traditional character and exceptional reputation

24 Perceived quality: the case of transgenic wheat The P factor: pasta, pizza, pane (bread) Wheat touches cultural values Wheat is essentially for food (not for feed as current GM commodities) Wheat is a daily staple Global reaction to GM wheat: Monsanto withdrew RR wheat Quality is a broad concept

25 Moral quality (of food)

26 We are what we eat Thank you