At a time of crisis, there are sectors of the economy that are exploding and will most likely be the driving force for a new future recovery. One of them is the organic agri-food sector, which grows on average by 5-6% per year. New agricultural plots are converted to organic and new demand is generated, increasing the attention to the phenomenon. As you can imagine, such a prolific sector also attracts strong and not always ethically correct economic interests. Then it is right to point out that not all Organic is the same, once again drawing the attention of the consumer, who must not stop at the slogan or the generic term to guarantee quality. In fact, reading more deeply the label of an organic product (identifiable by green leaflet), it turns out that there are three categories:

- Organic from Italian Agriculture

- Organic from EU Agriculture

- Organic from agriculture outside the EU

Then there are the combinations between them, if the raw material comes from different agricultures.

The differences in the production lines, products and treatments allowed are abysmal passing from one type to another, so much so that it can be said that a flour or legume from Italian Organic Farming is a completely different product from the same harvested in a field certified as organic in non-European countries.

European legislation, however, makes it possible to name all organic products in the same way, to be able to mix and accumulate them, even if, in order to produce them, Italian farmers and those from other countries across borders have not been subject to the same regulations, the same prohibitions, the same controls and have not borne the same costs.

It is clear then why, in the euphoria of eating organic, in large-scale distribution are born ad hoc lines that could never be replaced by real Italian organic farming, both in cost and in extension. Then, taking advantage of the regulatory ambiguity, eu and non-EU organic is sold in large supermarkets, less expensive and less bound by controls, to consumers who are always uneaware and aware.

Healthy and ethical Organic Italian agriculture, the result of the efforts of our farmers, therefore remains relegated to a niche market, not found on the shelves of large supermarkets. Thus, only an attentive and judicious consumer is able to trace this treasure of quality and health in the Italian countryside.

Silvia Barrucco