Il Nobel Prize in Economics to William Nordhaus and Paul Romer, engaged in the study of climate change and innovation, encourages the Italian biochemical industry to run faster. No less important, the Nobel Prize for chemistry went to the Englishman Gregory P.Winter. A trio of scholars who excite our Coldiretti which defends the Italian commitment in the sectors recognized to academics. Enthusiasm is an excellent antidote to the depressive phenomena affecting other industrial sectors.
The truth is that Italy is at the forefront of biochemistry. It has a business of over 10 billion a year. Spread across the territory there are companies with productivity indexes of international record. About 200 thousand workers specialized in research and production with the historical peculiarity of having accompanied the Italian miracle of the 60s. Today's bioeconomy includes biopharmaceuticals (5,1 billion), biochemistry (3 billion), biodiesel (0,4 billion) and other widespread bioenergy (2,2 billion). Data taken from the 2018 report on the bioeconomy in Europe.
Why is Coldiretti enthusiastic and brings Italian business closer to the Nobel Prizes? Because in the field there are synergies between innovative industrial sectors and agriculture. Because only through a new balance between production, environmental protection and investments will it be possible to keep up the growth trend. The latest experiment in the field is the Cardo “GO CARD” project. A program also shared with the Ministry of Agricultural Policies which is studying the creation of a thistle cultivation chain in the biorefinery. The specialized team is experimenting with the production of vegetable proteins to replace soy on a large scale. An industrial process that is also beneficial for the environment. And it is no small thing if we remember the political and judicial battles against some plants.
In total, Italian chemicals have over 2.800 companies and are the third largest European producer, after Germany and France. In the world it is in ninth place, thanks to the 3,5% increase in production recorded in 2017. A consolidated sector thanks also to good union agreements. A few days ago the workers' assemblies that approved the 2019 - June 2022 Labor Contract concluded. Filctem Cgil, Femca Cisl and Uiltec Uil are satisfied with the outcome of the consultation and the agreement with Federchimica and Farmindustria. The agreement gives ample space to issues of health and the environment, recognizing a role also for local decentralized bargaining. Where experimentation, production and research are carried out.
