MORE ATTENTION TO THE AGRO-FOOD INDUSTRY

Italy is becoming the European country with the largest number of political and economic initiatives focused on the Mediterranean. These actions are not always coordinated, but it is clear that Italy has understood how crucial the development of the Mediterranean is for the very development of Italy and Europe. This trend was confirmed at the conference of young Italian entrepreneurs, who met on October 31 in the island of Capri. The meeting was attended by the President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Gianfranco Fini: "I think it is time - he said - to boost Sarkozy's insight, and to put in place common rules governing the actions of governments as well as trade and financial exchanges." "We must push for an open policy - said president of the Confederation of Italian Industries (Confindustria) Emma Marcegaglia - which is not to be made of customs and protectionism. We must also work on immigration policy on a European level. In general, we must do much more because the Mediterranean is a huge market, an area that is logistically and culturally close to us."
It is a shame that the initiatives that are launched by Italian ministries, the Chamber of Commerce in Milan - which organizes the annual Economic Forum on the Mediterranean - and Italian entrepreneurs, take little account of the agri-food industry and agribusiness developments in the agricultural sector, although this field is of paramount economic importance for all peoples of the Mediterranean. Also the creation of a job platform in the Mediterranean, which is a topic addressed by the 5 / 09 issue of Green Med Journal in distribution in these days, does not raise the proper attention in Italy, although it is recognized as a topic of international interest and although immigration is a hot topical issue. The major economic interests related to the gas industry, as well as the oil and energy ones in general, are understandable. But the food issue, of agricultural products and their processing into agro-food products, that are elements of the worldwide known and appreciated Mediterranean diet, should be approached in Italy with more resources as well as a better coordination of the initiatives.

Antonio Felice
Green Med Journal editor

Sentence of the week

"The Mediterranean has become a great souk in which everyone can bring their own stand and goods. Our dream is that the Mediterranean is one great free trade zone: no customs, no barriers of any kind. Only then a new season could start for the relations between Africa and Europe." (Federica Guidi, president of the young Italian entrepreneurs)

PIU' ATTENZIONE PER L'AGRO-ALIMENTARE

L'Italia sta diventando il Paese europeo con il maggior numero di iniziative politiche ed economiche sul Mediterraneo. Si tratta di interventi non sempre coordinati, ma è evidente che in Italia si è capito quanto sia decisivo lo sviluppo dell'area mediterranea per lo stesso sviluppo dell'Italia e dell'Europa. La conferma è arrivata dal convegno dei giovani imprenditori italiani riuniti il 31 ottobre nell'isola di Capri. All'incontro ha partecipato il Presidente della Camera dei Deputati Gianfranco Fini: "Credo sia arrivato il momento - ha detto - di rilanciare l'intuizione di Sarkozy, e di mettere in campo norme comuni che regolino l'azione dei governi e gli scambi commerciali e finanziari". "Dobbiamo spingere per una politica aperta - ha detto invece il presidente di Confindustria Emma Marcegaglia - non fatta di dazi e protezionismo. Bisogna lavorare anche sulla politica dell'immigrazione a livello europeo. In generale, dobbiamo fare molto di più perché il Mediterraneo è un enorme mercato, un'area logisticamente e culturalmente vicina a noi".
E' un peccato che le iniziative che fanno capo ai ministeri italiani, alla Camera di Commercio di Milano organizzatrice del Forum economico annuale sul Mediterraneo e agli industriali italiani, tengano in scarsa considerazione il settore agro-alimentare e gli sviluppi agro-alimentari del settore agricolo, pur essendo quest'ambito di importanza economica primaria per tutti i popoli del Mediterraneo. Anche la creazione di una piattaforma mediterranea riguardante il lavoro, argomento trattato dal Green Med Journal numero 5/09 in distribuzione in questi giorni, pur essendo riconosciuto come argomento di interesse internazionale e pur essendo scottante il fenomeno dell'immigrazione, non trova in Italia un'adeguata attenzione. Si possono capire i grandi interessi economici legati al settore del gas, del petrolio e dell'energia in generale. Ma la questione del cibo, dei prodotti agricoli e della loro trasformazione in prodotti agro-alimentari, componenti della dieta mediterranea, conosciuta e apprezzata in tutto il mondo, dovrebbe essere affrontata in Italia con maggiori risorse e con un adeguato coordinamento delle iniziative.

Antonio Felice
Green Med Journal editor

Frase della settimana

"Il Mediterraneo deve diventare un grande suk al quale tutti possano portare la propria bancarella e la propria merce. Il nostro sogno è che il Mediterraneo sia un'unica grande zona franca: senza dazi, senza barriere di natura non tariffaria. Solo così potrebbe partire una stagione nuova anche per i rapporti tra l'Africa e l'Europa". (Federica Guidi, presidente dei giovani industriali italiani)

MORE ATTENTION TO THE AGRO-FOOD INDUSTRY

Italy is becoming the European country with the largest number of political and economic initiatives focused on the Mediterranean. These actions are not always coordinated, but it is clear that Italy has understood how crucial the development of the Mediterranean is for the very development of Italy and Europe. This trend was confirmed at the conference of young Italian entrepreneurs, who met on October 31 in the island of Capri. The meeting was attended by the President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Gianfranco Fini: "I think it is time - he said - to boost Sarkozy's insight, and to put in place common rules governing the actions of governments as well as trade and financial exchanges." "We must push for an open policy - said president of the Confederation of Italian Industries (Confindustria) Emma Marcegaglia - which is not to be made of customs and protectionism. We must also work on immigration policy on a European level. In general, we must do much more because the Mediterranean is a huge market, an area that is logistically and culturally close to us."
It is a shame that the initiatives that are launched by Italian ministries, the Chamber of Commerce in Milan - which organizes the annual Economic Forum on the Mediterranean - and Italian entrepreneurs, take little account of the agri-food industry and agribusiness developments in the agricultural sector, although this field is of paramount economic importance for all peoples of the Mediterranean. Also the creation of a job platform in the Mediterranean, which is a topic addressed by the 5 / 09 issue of Green Med Journal in distribution in these days, does not raise the proper attention in Italy, although it is recognized as a topic of international interest and although immigration is a hot topical issue. The major economic interests related to the gas industry, as well as the oil and energy ones in general, are understandable. But the food issue, of agricultural products and their processing into agro-food products, that are elements of the worldwide known and appreciated Mediterranean diet, should be approached in Italy with more resources as well as a better coordination of the initiatives.

Antonio Felice
Green Med Journal editor

Sentence of the week

"The Mediterranean has become a great souk in which everyone can bring their own stand and goods. Our dream is that the Mediterranean is one great free trade zone: no customs, no barriers of any kind. Only then a new season could start for the relations between Africa and Europe." (Federica Guidi, president of the young Italian entrepreneurs)

L’Italie est entrain de devenir le pays européen avec le plus grand nombre d’initiatives politiques et économiques concernant la Méditerranée. Il s’agit d’interventions pas toujours coordonnées, mais il est évident qu’en Italie on a compris à quel point le développement de la région méditerranéenne est décisif pour le développement même de l’Italie et de l’Europe. La confirmation est arrivée avec la rencontre des jeunes entrepreneurs italiens réunis le 31 octobre sur l’île de Capri. Le président de la chambre des députés Gianfranco Fini a participé à la rencontre : « Je crois que le moment est arrivé, a-t-il dit, de relancer l’intuition de Sarkozy, et de mettre en place des normes communes qui régissent l’action des gouvernements et des échanges commerciaux et financiers ». « Nous devons nous activer pour une politique ouverte – a dit, par contre, le président de la Confédération Générale de l’Industrie Italienne Emma Marcegaglia - pas faite de droits et de protectionnisme. Il faut aussi faire des efforts pour la politique de l’immigration au niveau européen. En général, nous devons faire beaucoup plus parce que la Méditerranée est un énorme marché, une région logistiquement et culturellement notre voisine ». C’est dommage que les initiatives qui dépendent des ministères italiens, de la Chambre de Commerce de Milan - organisatrice du forum économique annuel sur la Méditerranée - et des industriels italiens, n’aient pas de considérations suffisantes pour le secteur agroalimentaire et les développements agroalimentaires du secteur agricole, en étant ce domaine d’importance économique primaire pour tous les peuples de la Méditerranée. La création aussi d’une plateforme méditerranéenne concernant le travail, argument traité par le Green Med Journal numéro 5/09 en distribution ces jours-ci, en étant reconnu comme argument d’intérêt international et en étant le phénomène brûlant de l’immigration, ne trouve pas en Italie une attention adéquate. Les grands intérêts économiques liés au secteur du gaz, du pétrole et de l’énergie en général peuvent être compris. Mais la question des aliments, des produits agricoles et de leur transformation en produits agroalimentaires, composants de la diète méditerranéenne, connue et appréciée partout dans le monde, devrait être affrontée en Italie avec de plus importantes ressources et avec une coordination adéquate des initiatives.

Antonio Felice
Green Med Journal editor

Phrase de la semaine

"La Méditerranée doit devenir un grand souk auquel tout le monde peut porter son propre étalage et sa propre marchandise. Notre rêve est que la Méditerranée soit une unique grande zone franche : sans droits, sans barrière de nature non-tarifaire. C’est seulement ainsi qu'une nouvelle saison peut commencer aussi pour les rapports entre l’Afrique et l’Europe." (Federica Guidi, président des jeunes industriels italiens)