Italian organic body, the AIAB, has called for “no tolerance” of wheat producers falsely claiming their products are organic as reports suggest conventional wheat has been fraudulently sold to pasta processors in the country.  

There should be “no make-up exam” for producers of conventional wheat who sell it as organic, AIAB president Vincenzo Vizioli insisted. Moreover, Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry should step up oversight by requiring regional administrations to supervise the role of organic inspection bodies, he suggested. 

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

According to Italian reports, conventional wheat claiming organic status has been sold to pasta producers including retailers such as Esselunga. The company could not be reached for comment at time of press. 

Vizioli said the main motivation for wheat producers to pass their products off as organic was the difference in price. He warned: “With a price differential so high between conventional and organic… the temptation to tuck in conventional to the bio [supply chain] will be even stronger.” 

Italian cereal manufacturers have come under significant pressure from low commodity prices. The country’s Department of Agriculture has taken measures to promote a “more equitable remuneration” arrangement for producers of durum wheat used by the pasta industry. At the end of September, the department also approved an EUR10m (US$11m) support package for agricultural producers, which made provision for farmers to receive EUR100 in aid per hectare of land in production. 

See Also:

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.