Coldiretti-Philip Morris ‘save crops’ agreement against energy price increases

Faced with the explosive increase in tobacco growing costs, driven by energy increases, a substantial adjustment of the remuneration to farmers was recognized as part of the supply chain agreement signed between Coldiretti and Philip Morris Italia. This is the first agreement that takes into account the new critical issues in the agricultural sector caused by the changed economic context to give continuity to production and invest in sustainability and digitalization for the strengthening of a supply chain that in Italy involves over 25,000 employees. The extraordinary economic bonus put in place will make it possible to record an increase in the price recognized to growers, both for Bright tobacco and for Burley, to allow them to face the strong increases in production costs, in particular energy (LPG , methane, electricity, diesel) and technical means. An important adjustment also for the relaunch of the sector in view of the implementation of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and a first step to activate further initiatives aimed at making a supply chain of great importance from an economic and employment point of view more and more efficient. for the territories involved. “The energy crisis can only be faced with the co-responsibility of the entire supply chain and the agreement signed in the tobacco sector represents an important model for the entire agri-food system” affirmed the president of Coldiretti Ettore Prandini. it is “the need to intervene in the face of increases in unsustainable costs for agricultural businesses that risk compromising crops with an impact on the economy, environment and work” remarked Prandini. “We wanted to undertake this commitment with a view to an integrated supply chain that is more important than ever in a delicate phase like the one we are going through” said Marco Hannappel, president and CEO of Philip Morris Italia. “The quality and good agricultural practices of which we are promoters together with Coldiretti are already making a difference to keep the competitiveness of the Italian supply chain high. – said Hannappel, – A path inspired by the vision of wanting to radically innovate our sector to build a smoke-free future. “The supply chain agreement in the tobacco sector has a multi-year duration and was signed between Coldiretti and Philip Morris who committed to buying about 50% of the tobacco produced in Italy, thanks to the collaboration with about 1,000 farms operating mainly in Campania, Umbria, Veneto and Tuscany.