Protection of inner areas, water and climate, land consumption law, and income redistribution along the supply chain to benefit farmers with fair remuneration are the key themes in the detailed speech with which Cristiano Fini, National President of CIA-Agricoltori Italiani, opened the public session of the Confederation’s annual assembly.

Agriculture is essential for the economic, social, and environmental stability of the country: Fini strongly stated that agriculture is at a turning point in the modernization process of the country, and CIA aims to support a shared path with its members.

To ensure a fair income for farmers, the resources of the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) are certainly crucial, but they must be used more efficiently and strategically, also by rationalizing the pool of beneficiaries to ensure a fair redistribution of resources. Fini reiterated that guaranteeing primary agricultural production means, inseparably, guaranteeing the existence of the Made in Italy agri-food sector, which is achieving very positive results worldwide.

For inner areas, it is necessary to promote various measures to counter abandonment, depopulation, and social and economic desertification. He also mentioned the need to support multifunctionality and diversification, to focus on female entrepreneurship, which is inherently more innovative, and above all, to de-tax economic activities in these areas.

Fini also emphasized the importance of active policies on social services, from healthcare to education, transportation, and housing measures.

The CIA president then focused on the issues of the climate crisis and, in particular, on water resources. There are various actions to be taken quickly, starting with a national plan for large and small reservoirs, integrated with one another, and a strong push for the reuse of wastewater. Against the climate crisis, it is also urgent to finally pass a law against the consumption of agricultural land.

Fini touched on several other topics, such as the need for a coordinated national response to the Xylella emergency, the issues surrounding wildlife, whose management cannot solely be entrusted to hunters, and the defense of livestock farming from media attacks that repeatedly attempt to criminalize it.