The arrival of 65 million liters of non -EU oil in 2024 feeds the risk of fraud and deceptions against citizens and causes the prices of the real Italian extra virgin. This was reported by Coldiretti with the Blitz of the farmers, who went up to 2000s with the arrival of producers from other regions, to preside over the port of Civitavecchia on the occasion of the arrival of a ship full of foreign product.
A dozen boats with the yellow flags are sailed by the Roman airport to intercept the boats while the olive growers led by the National Vice -President of Coldiretti Davide Granieri gathered on the quay with signs and slogans to ask for immediate measures. A alarm cry against unfair competition , considering the high quality of the Made in Italy product and the fact that the foreign one often ends up being sold as a tricolor, using the lowest price.
The Tunisian oil, for example – reports Coldiretti – is sold today under 5 euros per liter, with a downward pressure on the prices of the Italian one that aims to force national olive growers to sell off their own under the production costs. To favor imports from Tunisia is also the agreement stipulated by the EU which provides for the annual import, in the period 1 January – 31 December, of 56,700 tons of virgin olive oils, in whose product category extra virgin olive oil includes extra virgin olive oil Olive, virgin olive oil and raspberry oil, without application of customs duties.
.The goal of those who buy foreign oil is to create increasingly high profit margins through speculations that put national producers on the corner and flood the low -quality product markets. A phenomenon that further pushes the danger of fraud against consumers, against whom the controls of the police, Masaf and ICQRF have intensified.
“The concrete risk that is already being occurred in Calabria in Calaria, the second region of oil producing whose production this year has been reduced for various circumstances of about 60% – comments Franco Aceto President of Coldiretti Calabria – is that the introduction of low -cost extra virgin olive oil, often of dubious origin and quality, can seriously damage our agri -food heritage of biodiversity made by over 100 varieties of olives cultivated by “Pollino alla Strait” for a total of 25 million plants, which insist on 24% of the agricultural surface used, and about 70 thousand companies including those for self -consumption (Istat data) over 160 thousand hectares of which 13 thousand declared Igp. own wealth from which extra virgin olive oil is produced (3 PDO and 1 IGP) as well as dozens of zero km productions related to the territories. Founded, especially when you think of quality and food safety.
In this regard, Coldiretti raises a crucial point relating to the EU Regulation 2020/761, which regulates the preferential import of olive oil from Tunisia. “It is essential to ensure that the imported oil respects the same high quality and safety standards that characterize Made in Italy extra virgin olive oil. The absence of rigorous control over the quality and origin of the imported oil could compromise the trust of consumers and put the reputation of Italian oil at risk, considered one of the best in the world “. In response to this situation, Coldiretti and Unprol ask for the creation of a single European electronic register, similar to the Italian Sian system. “This tool -concludes the organization -would guarantee greater transparency and traceability, allowing to protect consumers and enhance the authentic product”.