Slow Fish, the event organized by Slow Food and the Liguria Region, opened its doors today and will keep them open until Sunday 4 July in Genoa. It is an opportunity to reflect on the food consumption of Italians and on conscious purchases for the protection of the habitat and marine resources.
The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of millions of people around the world in many different ways. Food consumption has also changed. Lunches and dinners in the house have changed the way you shop and the chosen foods have changed accordingly. Photographing the habits of Italians is Ismea, the institute of services for the agricultural food market, in the report entitled Fish consumption more than a year after the start of the Covid-19 emergency.
On a general level (and therefore not limited to fish consumption) "in the quarter March-May 2020 the increase in the value of purchases was double-digit, even exceeding 20% in some weeks of March" reads the report. “With the easing of the measures in the summer of 2020, the trend in purchases returned to the values of 2019 to then start running again towards autumn, with the first signs of the resurgence of the virus, without however ever touching the peaks recorded during the first phase of emergency”.
The report underlines that "the first sectors to record a sustained increase in sales were that of eggs, flour, frozen, some tuna and packaged cured meats (with increases of more than 20%)". Overall, seafood products recorded sales "almost 7% higher than the previous year, in sharp contrast to the negative trend shown in 2019".
In 2020, it must be said, the fresh continued to account for nearly 50% of total spending on fish but, among those in the fish market, it was the sector to have grown less (+2,8% compared to 2019), due to a mix of factors including less lively demand and reduced supply due to the stop suffered by many boats in the months of lockdown.
Il frozen fish, on the other hand, grew by double-digit percentages (+18,7% the packaged one, +11,6% the loose one), while the preserved (which accounts for about 22% of the total), such as the infamous canned tuna, grew by 5,3%.
The trends relating to the first months of 2021 also emerge from the Ismea report. . “The data for the month of April are even more marked, with a +2021% compared to last April”. Fresh food is growing rapidly (sales of which increased by 15% compared to the first four months of last year), driven by molluscs and crustaceans.
This year, according to Ismea, “purchases of gourmet products are flying, among which salmon, shellfish and fish in general stand out", while frozen products and fish preserves are paying for the "rebound effect": after the increase of the past twelve months, in short, they are returning to the levels of 2019.
"The data made public by Ismea accentuate some trends that have concrete and unfortunately negative effects on aquatic ecosystems and small-scale fishing communities," comments Roberto Di Lernia, biologist of the Slow Food Milan network and co-founder of the Blue Food: Green Future project. «The increase in the consumption of canned tuna, for example, often depends more on the low cost that large-scale distribution is able to offer than from consumer awareness, from a careful reading of the labels or from the actual approval rating – he continues -. After all, we get used to what we usually consume and even the palate adapts to our economic needs. The large-scale distribution tries to seduce the customer and does so by training him, linking him to a certain taste through offers and ready-made products, thus directing his purchasing habits».
What about frozen foods? «In the first months of the pandemic, they satisfied the purchasing habits of consumers thanks to the duration of the packages and the practicality of use» admits Di Lernia. However, there is a complication: «These fish products always come from far away. The catch comes frozen on board, then transported to packaging sites and finally to individual points of sale. The impact of this type of product is therefore very large both in energy terms, for the production of CO2, both in terms of sustainability of fishing methods that are difficult to control, despite the quality certifications affixed to the packaging – continues Di Lernia -. Even the working conditions of employees along the supply chain remain an obscure point».
There is no doubt that even frozen fish can sometimes whet the appetite: «Regarding the palate, frozen Chilean mussels on a well-seasoned pizza can certainly be pleasant, but the taste alone can lead the consumer towards unsustainable choices. That's why consumers must also be made aware of other aspects that determine the quality of a product”.
As always, the heart of Slow Fish links its most gastronomic soul to the education of citizens of all ages, proposing this year a narrative focused on the connections between all those involved in the Water Cycles, starting precisely from the good practices of the communities that have been able to adapt to changes in ecosystems. Also in this edition, several appointments are scheduled, dedicated to school groups, teachers and those who want to deepen the many questions about the world of the sea.
The Fish'n'Tips interactive itinerary, created by the European Union, Mipaaf and Feamp and hosted in Piazza Caricamento, provides a lot of valuable information on marine biodiversity, our food choices, the effect of climate change on the waters of the seas and oceans. The Genoa Aquarium, already the protagonist of some digital previews dedicated to students, teachers, educators and parents, offers visitors a dip in the Mediterranean to discover the characteristics of sharks and the reason why this species suffers the effects of strong fishing pressure in an activity carried out in collaboration with UniCredit.
