October 12th, 2015 – Products under protected geographical indication (PDO / PGI / TSG) speak Italian: one in five in the world is a product of Made In Italy. And Italy is the undisputed leader thanks to the work done by the Italian farmers in ensuring the link between territory and respect for tradition. This is what emerges from a Coldiretti analysis at the World Assembly of Geographical Indications, stressing however that at risk there is the Italian record of products under the protected geographical indication due to the effects of the crisis, which since its inception has caused the cessation of more than ten thousand dairy stables. Farms that contribute to almost half the production of cheeses with PDOs, which are by far the first product in terms of Italian sales of PDO-PGI-TSG goods. “The fees paid to the farmers – says Coldiretti – no longer cover the cost of animal food and in turn this is causing farmers to abandon the profession, especially in those mountain areas where we get the highest number of Italian cheeses with PDO. This situation – continues Coldiretti – has led to the closure of an average of nearly 4 farms a day since 2007, with a strong acceleration in the last year – due to the more than 20% cut to the price paid to farmers.” (Red)
