Italy adjusts compensation parameters for mussel farmers

Italian regional authorities in Puglia and Emilia-Romagna have secured a change in how compensation is calculated for mussel farmers affected by mass die-offs caused by exceptional water temperatures.

Under the Feampa program, which provides indemnity for unforeseen environmental or climatic events and rising fuel costs, the standard calculation method would have used 2025 production levels as a reference. However, because the environmental damage in 2024 and 2025 significantly reduced production capacity, using those years would have unfairly lowered the compensation amounts or disqualified companies entirely.

Following discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, companies can now use their 2023 commercialized production as the reference parameter. This adjustment aims to ensure that businesses are compensated based on their actual productive capacity prior to the environmental crisis.