Italian agricultural cooperatives adopt early work hours and seek regional aid to address heatwave and crisis

In Romagna, seven Legacoop‑affiliated agricultural cooperatives (Agrisfera, CAB Massari, CAB Terra, CAB Bagnacavallo, CAB Campiano, CAB Comprensorio Cervese and CAB Fusignano) have moved harvest work to start at 5 a.m. and finish before noon to avoid extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 38‑39 °C and night lows above 25 °C. Workers receive more frequent breaks, constant water supplies, protective equipment and shaded rest areas. The measures follow a University of Bologna study that identified early‑hour scheduling as the most effective adaptation for farm‑labour health.

In Sicily, regional Agriculture Minister Luca Sammartino met with Legacoop Sicilia, Confcooperative, UNCI and Unicoop Sicilia to address a deepening agricultural crisis affecting vineyards and cereal farms. The regional government pledged €20‑25 million for crisis‑related wine distillation and €50 million for the cereal sector in the upcoming budget. Cooperative leaders highlighted climate change, new plant diseases, falling consumption and soaring production and transport costs that threaten thousands of farms, urging further structural reforms and capitalisation support.