Only six European Countries have GM crops, the total area planted with GM crops in the continent has decreased by 12% in one year. At the end of 2008 Germany in banned their cultivation. Europe seems to stand against these crops whereas in developing countries, like China and Brazil GMOs grow.
Those who support GMO’s claim that their use increases the field’s yield, but the downside is that farmers have to use patented seeds that they have to buy every year, from the Corporations. Then there is the problem of contamination: the farmers who decide to be GM-free are likely to have a GM crops anyway if their field neighbours one that is.
The challenge for the future is not easy, according to UN estimates the world population will grow by 34% and in 2050 the world will have to feed 9.1 billion people. According to some, only GMOs cultivations can meet this need, according to others , instead, we must focus on quality and food welfare for all, only in this way will the world save itself.

The Minister of agriculture food and forestry policies announced the decision to keep in force until 2010 the decree that suspended the use of neonicotinoids for maize tannery.

"The numbers are clear: this year, after the suspension, there have been only two cases bees’ death, against the 185 of last year. We cannot ignore this data nor can we abandon our 75 thousand bee-keepers and the more than one million bee hives that we have in Italy".

"We do not want to penalize anybody. It is a prudential suspension of judgment in order to conciliate all the productive sectors and to find a definitive and common solution that safeguards the bees, fundamental for the survival of our agriculture, and that at the same time answers the needs of such an important sector like the maize one".

The crisis we are facing – declared the Minister of food, forest and agricultural policies Luca Zaia – clearly shows us that we must defend agriculture and its values not only the economic ones. The agriculture of our Country has solid bases, the national Atlas counts more than 4500 typical products, and on the work of our farmers, caretakers of the tradition and identity of our products, virtue of the made in Italy in the world."

It is the landscaped and environmental specificities of the single territories that give to the Italian products unique taste and qualities, characteristics that make them appreciated all over the world. Specificities that are those tourist attractions that all the World envies us and that make a trip in Italy more than just a historic one; it becomes a journey to the discovery of all the sublime foods and gastronomic traditions that this country can offer.

The wine&food tourism is one of the growing tourist sectors and agriculture has shown to be a valid tourist resource, able to valorise, protect and defend an area and its traditions.

The Istat data on last years’ travels and holidays show an increase of 10.4% of travels in Italy, a Country that can boast 177 products enrolled in the Registry of the protected designation of origin and the protected geographic Indications, 357 between wines Docg and Doc besides 120 wines TGI. This heritage is an extraordinary resource that can communicate the identity of our territories, in Italy and to the World.

The peninsula is a land rich of tourist routes tied to wine&food discoveries with 142 “roads of wines and tastes”, along which it is possible to taste the multiple flavours of the territory. The 18thousand farm holidays present in the Country are ideal places to relax and discover the taste of tradition, but there are also 60.770 mills, wine cellars, mountain barns and shacks open to the public were it is possible to taste and buy out agrifood products.

E' ormai alle porte l'importante appuntamento con il primo vertice dei Ministri dell'agricoltura dei Paesi G8, che si svolgerà a Cison di Valmarino, in provincia di Treviso, dal 18 al 20 aprile.L'emergenza alimentare mondiale è il principale tema in agenda; in particolare, obiettivo del Vertice, è individuare una strategia comune per fronteggiare le prossime spirali dei prezzi delle materie prime agricole e per limitare l'impatto di future emergenze alimentari mondiali. Una breve dichiarazione congiunta verrà negoziata e possibilmente sottoposta all'attenzione dei leader dei paesi G8 in previsione del vertice previsto a luglio alla Maddalena.

“Il consumatore deve sapere cosa mangia e deve sapere la provenienza di quello che mangia” ci ha detto Edoardo Raspelli, uno dei critici gastronomici più famosi d’Italia. Chiedendogli il suo punto di vista per quanto riguarda la difesa dei prodotti nazionali ci ha detto che “come è normale che le macchine fotografiche comprate dagli italiani siano made in Japan, è normale che gli Italiani acquistino prodotti agroalimentari made in Italy: la ricchezza di prodotti di qualità che l’Italia vanta è enorme, è da ricordare che il nostro paese detiene il primato europeo di prodotti certificati, e ben venga quindi che i cuochi del Belpaese impieghino nelle loro creazioni culinarie prodotti locali tipici del territorio, solo così si potrà gustare a Milano il vero risotto alla milanese”.

Data, the words of the young agricultural entrepreneurs, the comments of journalists, writers, exponents of the sport and show business world of the sport, the show and declarations of agricultural organizations.

In questi giorni è scattato l’allarme per gli alti livelli di diossina trovati in alcuni maiali allevati in Irlanda. Come ha affermato il ministro Luca Zaia, "la carne italiana è buona, quindi gli italiani devono consumare il più possibile 'prodotto italiano di prossimità', tanto più nel caso della cane suina che è un prodotto autoctono".
Cosa ne pensano gli altri esponenti del mondo agricolo italiano?

The 20 November 2008 is an historical date for our country, this day, after 24 years, Italy has regained the position it deserves in Europe. The Eu Agriculture council of Ministers have signed in Brussels the agreement of the Cap revision.