Italian agriculture faces crisis amid rising costs and falling prices

The Italian agricultural sector is facing a widespread crisis characterized by rising production costs for fuel, fertilizers, and energy, coupled with falling market prices. In Basilicata, regional councilor Piero Marrese and Copagri president Nicola Minichino have called for urgent regional intervention and the establishment of a permanent crisis board to monitor the situation and provide liquidity to farms.

Across other regions, the crisis is manifesting in various ways. In Puglia, the wine industry is experiencing structural shifts and declining consumption, leading to concerns from unions like Flai Cgil regarding job security. Olive oil producers are also demanding better protections against imports and more stable pricing to ensure the economic survival of local territories.

In Rome, farmers have staged protests by dumping unsold milk on the Aurelia highway to highlight the imbalance between production costs and market returns. These collective actions underscore a growing demand for institutional support, transparency in the supply chain, and strategic planning to protect food sovereignty and the Italian agricultural economy.