Mipaaf-Philip Morris Italy, renewed agreement for the Italian tobacco supply chain

The Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (Mipaaf) and Philip Morris Italia also renew for the year 2022 the commitments for the promotion of the Italian tobacco supply chain, which has 50,000 employees in the cultivation and primary processing phases. Thanks to the signing of the agreement, Philip Morris Italia, market leader, will invest up to 100 million euros to support the cultivation of Burley and Virginia Bright tobacco, of which Italy is the leader in Europe in terms of volumes produced. This is the highest investment in the Italian tobacco supply chain by a private company, part of an investment plan of up to 500 million euros over five years, which involves approximately 50% of the total production of Italian leaf tobacco, with the involvement of Coldiretti and Ont-Italian Tobacco National Organization. “With the agreement signed today between Mipaaf and Philip Morris Italy – said Gian Marco Centinaio, Undersecretary for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies – the national tobacco supply chain can count on continuity of investments which is guaranteed thanks to multi-year agreements. Investments are made in agriculture, in tobacco growers and in our country. Also for 2022, the commitments made in previous years are renewed and the sector is supported in facing the challenges that await it, so that it can transform itself, be increasingly sustainable and maintain its competitiveness. This is why it is important to define and implement integrated agro-industrial supply chain models. “” The agreement with Mipaaf confirms our desire to support tobacco growing in Italy in the long term to make it increasingly competitive in a rapidly growing sector transformation “, commented Marco Hannappel, president and CEO of Philip Morris Italia, who added:” Agriculture represents the foundations of an integrated Italian supply chain, which also includes 4.0 manufacturing and services, totally oriented to the production of innovative products without combustion. Collaboration with Italian tobacco growers is a fundamental element in the transformation of our sector towards a smoke-free future. “With the agreement, Mipaaf and Philip Morris Italia recognize the importance of promoting innovative solutions that contribute to the eco-energy and environmental sustainability of the cultivation, in particular by reducing the use of crop protection products and fertilizers, as well as reducing CO2 emissions also thanks to the use of renewable energy sources, such as biogas and photovoltaics. The agreement also aims to guarantee the competitiveness of the sector, supporting the training of young farmers and more generally the development of agriculture 4.0. Continuity, competitiveness, transformation and sustainability of the national tobacco supply chain appear increasingly important. following the new CAP reform and in line with the new European green deal. Today’s signature represents a new, important piece of a path undertaken for over ten years by Philip Morris Italia which has generated investments in Italian agriculture for over two billion euros, allowing about 1,000 tobacco companies, active in Campania, Umbria, Veneto and Tuscany to develop an integrated management model oriented towards innovation and over the long term.