"FACE TO FACE WITH": CIA - Agricoltori Italiani

January 2025

Cia-Agricoltori Italiani is one of the largest trade organisations in Italy and Europe. It works for the defence and enhancement of the primary sector and for the protection of enterprises and farmers. It has national headquarters in Rome and a representative office in Brussels. The Confederation's commitment is to guarantee rights and safeguard its 650,000 members and 170,000 associated farms. Among Cia's priorities are the defence of farmers' income, sustainability, quality, biodiversity, and the promotion of agricultural work as a business. Cia supports young people, women and pensioners, promotes organic farms, agritourism and direct sales. Through the Inac patronage and the Caf and Caa centres, it assists 1 million citizens every year.

In what area is your organisation and why did you choose to focus on organic farming?

Cia-Agricoltori Italiani is one of the largest national and European agricultural organisations and has an association within it that is completely dedicated to the promotion of organic farming called Anabio. A conscious and necessary choice to support and incentivise one of the first drivers of the ecological transition, combining sustainability and productivity.

Through what actions and policies is Cia addressing the challenge of sustainability?

For our organisation, it is essential to work towards achieving a balance between economic, environmental and social sustainability. Specifically, this means guaranteeing a fair income to agricultural enterprises and recognising the central role of the sector in the food chain; ensuring resources and investment in research and innovation to produce more with less, rationalising chemical and water inputs, reducing waste with the closed cycle, and developing green plants that are more resistant to disease and tolerant to climate change; stop the consumption of agricultural land, also as a barrier against hydrogeological instability and pollution; revitalise rural and inland areas with essential services and physical and digital infrastructures to stop depopulation, considering that the abandonment of these areas is equivalent to the loss of the territory and the disappearance of entire communities that are the real social and economic glue of Italy outside the large centres. These are the battles that Cia is pursuing to build a sustainable future for global agriculture.

What is the value of Cia's participation in SANAFood?

Cia has always been at the side of organic producers, as demonstrated by its historical presence at SANA at every edition. It is not just a matter of telling the organic soul of agriculture with a full calendar of meetings, tastings and show-cooking together with member companies, but of building together, year after year, a unified and shared space with all the stakeholders in the sector capable of talking to citizens-consumers, helping farming businesses and enhancing sustainability.