More consumers attentive to health and the environment, more demand for organic products, more companies that choose to produce in a more natural way and, just a few days ago, more transparency to better understand a rapidly expanding universe. To date, there are about 60 thousand Italian companies with "Bio" certification, 24 thousand of which (almost 40% of the total) accredited by the national certification system only in the last three years. For a few days now – following the agreement between ACCREDIA, Unioncamere and InfoCamere – the updated 'map' of operators with Bio certification has been even more accessible thanks to the inclusion of information in the company records issued by the Chambers of Commerce.
The novelty is part of the process of continuous improvement of the quality, completeness and transparency of the information present in the databases of the Chambers of Commerce, pursued through the integration of information on companies managed by other Public Administrations.
THE MAP OF “BIO” COMPANIES
At the beginning of December 2017, there were 59.461 companies with Bio certification. For the majority, these are companies located in the South (55,8%), more than double those based in the North (23,4%) and almost three times those in Central Italy (20,8%) . More than half (56%) of certified companies are concentrated in just five regions with Sicily in the lead (15,9), followed by Calabria (13,4), Puglia (11,6), Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna (7,7). The numbers of organic farming in the Belpaese tell of a sector that has been greatly transformed and strengthened in recent years, going from a trend aimed at niche markets to a real lifestyle for millions of Italian consumers. At the same time, organic farming is playing an increasingly important role as a relaunch opportunity for many companies in our agri-food sector. While in traditional agriculture many companies close each year, giving way to larger and more structured realities, the organic sector is going against the trend, demonstrating that even smaller companies, thanks to the application of the principles of biodynamic agriculture , can successfully stand on the market.
Returning to the data, with reference to the activity carried out, 81% work directly in the agricultural sector and about 7% in trade. In particular, companies that carry out exclusively organic production are 44.482 (75% of the universe of certificates) and one in three of them is based in only two regions of the South: Calabria or Sicily. Going deeper into the analysis of organic companies by legal form, 11% (6.490) are joint stock companies. Of these, over 90% are SMEs, ie with a turnover equal to or less than 50 million euros. More than half (55,2%) fall within the definition of micro enterprise (with a turnover of no more than 2 million euros), and half have a share capital of less than 50 thousand euros.
WHAT IS THE ORGANIC CERTIFICATION
In one word (moreover now abbreviated) complex meanings are hidden, something more than a name on a label and closer to a philosophy that has the ambitious goal of protecting health while safeguarding the environment.
In fact, organic agriculture exploits the natural fertility of the soil with the aim of respecting and promoting it by resorting to limited interventions. This particular type of agriculture also aims to promote biodiversity and exclude the use of synthetic products (fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, pesticides in general) and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Organic farming is governed at EU level by EC Regulation 834/2007 and subsequent application regulations relating to organic production and labeling for the following product categories:
- Live or unprocessed agricultural products;
- Processed agricultural products intended for use as food;
- Feed;
- Vegetative propagation material and seeds for cultivation.
The "Bio" certification is a certificate that guarantees compliance with strict requirements aimed at avoiding or reducing "contamination" by man. The product certification body is responsible for verifying the conformity of the product with the requirements established for certification, with voluntary technical standards or with other normative references. Product certification is based on confidence in the specific manufacturing process. This assumption implies the extension of this conformity situation over time.
