"Restart, Reborn": these two terms condense the watchword that runs throughout Italy to ask the institutions to support the best agriculture in Italy and quality catering. To date, more than 2500 chefs, farmers, breeders, artisans and citizens have joined the appeal launched by the chefs of the Slow Food Alliance. In the agri-food sector, but not only, a possible solution is networking: from the field to the restaurant.
“Let's make sure that this great crisis teaches us something – reads the appeal – We cannot restart with the previous production and development system because that very system is at the origin of this crisis. A large part of the scientific community, and with them the almost unanimous civil society, but also many economists, agree that the future must be greener. A radical paradigm shift is needed, and agriculture, food systems, can really be a perfect starting point, also useful for inspiring other sectors. The 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations are not archived, indeed the pandemic has made them even more topical and urgent. And we at Slow Food don't forget the lesson of the Stockholm Resilience Centre, which in re-reading those 17 goals told us that food, and only food, connects them all. From food, from good, clean and fair food systems, from an agriculture dedicated to this mission, everything can start afresh”.
“Thanks to our cuisine – reads the open appeal for the signature of all those who believe in a future based on the care of the territories, on the knowledge of the communities, on the pleasure of sharing – we have spread knowledge, beauty, pleasure. We talked about local territories and cultures. All of this would not have been possible without the daily work of farmers, breeders, cheese makers, winemakers and artisans who produce with passion and respect for the land and their animals. […] Today we are in a crisis, and with us are our producers, some of whom were already struggling to cope with the competition from agro-industry and the logic of the market and distribution. Indeed, the best part of this country's agriculture depends heavily on quality catering. We believe that the image of this country is linked to the survival of these companies and of those who, by offering their products, best represent them”.
According to recent data from Unimpresa, 30% of retail and administration businesses in June will not have the economic conditions to restart and will not reopen. In catering, in particular, it is not yet known what will happen when it reopens: it is a sector in terrible crisis. And precisely from this sector comes the strong request for greater attention to the entire agricultural and food sector, aware that in addition to restaurateurs and their staff, a whole world of virtuous small-scale producers is also going into crisis, including those supported and networked by Slow Food projects (Presidia, Earth Markets, Producer Communities, the Slow Beans and Slow Mays networks, and others). Producers who manage to maintain a type of production made of care and respect for the land and for those who work it also thanks to the privileged relationship with the best cuisine of our country, which draws heavily on their products. Today these producers are recording drops of up to 60% of their turnover as a result of the prolonged closure of the restaurants.
The chefs of the Alliance who launched the appeal recognize the importance of the requests made by the trade associations, but they wanted to highlight one more element, the strength of the internal dialogue in the supply chain.
"We therefore ask to extend the tax credit, already provided for some expenses related to the Covid-19 emergency - reads the document - to purchases of agricultural products and small-scale food crafts linked to local supply chains (where by local we mean the regional dimension), to an extent equal to at least 20%, to be increased to 30% in the event that these companies practice organic or biodynamic agriculture, or are located in marginal, disadvantaged areas of particular environmental value in our country. A measure like this would represent a great economic, social and cultural opportunity: it would allow the level of the Italian gastronomic offer to be raised, guaranteeing greater quality, and at the same time it would support and relaunch small and medium-sized local farms and rural tourism, which lives essentially on agricultural landscapes. Finally, it would help restaurateurs to face difficult months and perhaps years.
Rete dei cuochi and Slow Food say they are aware of the central role that institutions can play in developing initiatives to support those who generate economies and well-being for the whole community and not just for their own businesses. For those who buy products from local farmers, breeders and artisans. Because the real enemies to fight in the post pandemic will still be the loss of biodiversity, the erosion of the territory, the pollution of the air, the water, the impoverishment of fertility in our lands, overbuilding, the abandonment of areas rural areas and small villages, food waste, labor exploitation, indifference towards those who produce with attention to the reasons and times of nature and individualism, which makes the ego prevail over the sense of community.
Signing this appeal is the first step that Slow Food proposes for a new strategy that will embrace all the issues on which the association has been working for over 30 years, seeking new tools and new alliances to face not only this emergency, but a long crisis from which we can and must come out better.
