# Italian agricultural protests over wheat imports

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/italian-agricultural-protests-over-wheat-imports
> Updated: 2026-08-24T15:26:47.000Z. Sources: 19. Developments: 2.

The agricultural organization Coldiretti Puglia has initiated mobilizations to protest the use of imported wheat in the Italian pasta industry. The dispute was triggered by comments from flour industrialist Francesco Casillo, who reportedly stated that ‘pasta is good not because it is made with Italian wheat.’ Coldiretti condemned these remarks, accusing certain industrialists of using the Italian flag on products made with undisclosed foreign grain to avoid transparency.

A central concern for the group is the high volume of durum wheat imports from Canada. They specifically highlighted health risks associated with the use of glyphosate in Canadian wheat, a herbicide prohibited for pre-harvest use in the European Union.

Following these protests, Coldiretti has aligned itself with promotional campaigns from the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (Masaf) to encourage consumers to check labels for 100% Italian wheat. Coldiretti has expressed strong support for a new Masaf campaign featuring the Italian national volleyball team, which aims to promote pasta made with 100% domestic wheat and improve transparency regarding ingredient origins.

Coldiretti notes that while the Italian pasta industry’s turnover has grown from €3.5 billion twenty years ago to over €7 billion today, much of this growth relies on foreign raw materials. To protect domestic farmers and consumer health, the organization has proposed measures to Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, including creating dedicated retail sections for domestic wheat pasta, improving shelf labeling for foreign origins, and implementing advanced technological controls at ports to enhance traceability.

## Claims

- Coldiretti supports Masaf promotional spots regarding pasta made with 100% Italian wheat. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The Italian pasta industry turnover has increased from 3.5 billion euros to between 7 and 7.2 billion euros over the last twenty years. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- A significant portion of imported wheat comes from Canada and is dried using glyphosate. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Coldiretti is calling for clearer labeling to distinguish between pasta made with 100% Italian wheat and those using foreign raw materials. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Coldiretti proposed creating dedicated spaces for 100% Italian wheat pasta within large-scale retail distribution (GDO). (single source)
- Coldiretti requested enhanced traceability controls at borders and ports using advanced technologies. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-24: Coldiretti calls for wheat origin transparency in Italian pasta

Coldiretti supports new Italian Ministry of Agriculture ads promoting 100% Italian wheat pasta, calling for clearer labeling to prevent consumer deception regarding imported grain origins.

15 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/coldiretti-calls-for-clearer-wheat-origin-labeling-on-pasta

### 2026-08-21: Coldiretti Puglia protests wheat imports and grain origin claims

Coldiretti Puglia is organizing protests against wheat imports and industrialist Francesco Casillo, citing concerns over grain origin transparency and the use of glyphosate in Canadian wheat.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/coldiretti-puglia-protests-wheat-imports-and-grain-origin-claims

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Cite as: Italian agricultural protests over wheat imports. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/italian-agricultural-protests-over-wheat-imports