Ultra-processed foods to avoid and the challenges facing a Europe of health and peace

Unfortunately, this reflects how these foods are becoming increasingly prevalent in our diets and, above all, in those of younger people, who in particular consume excessive and worrying amounts of drinks containing substances such as taurine, glucuronolactone and others which, if consumed regularly, can be harmful to the body. All of this is, if possible, accompanied by generous doses of caffeine. It’s madness. But we’re not just talking about drinks; we’re talking about a huge range of foods that often save time and, thanks to the use of chemicals, can even be tasty or, as they say in the trade, ‘palatable’. This is unhealthy food, which makes consumers ill – especially the youngest among them – and takes its toll on public finances. Various measures have been taken in a number of countries, aimed at informing consumers by highlighting the dangers of these foods – just as is done in the fight against smoking – or at regulating their advertising. In Europe, however, nothing has been done yet.

The world’s largest and most advanced market stands still, impervious to the warnings of science and – one might be tempted to think the worst – perhaps all too susceptible to other kinds of interests. For these reasons, one of the key themes of our international agriculture forum – now in its 24th edition – will be the relationship between agriculture and health, and our initiative to highlight what we consider to be a serious dereliction of duty on the part of the European institutions, and in particular the Commission, led by von der Leyen: the absence of a regulatory framework designed to inform citizens of the dangers associated with the systematic consumption of certain types of food and to limit their widespread use.

We will make use of every tool available under national and European law, going as far as bringing the matter before the Court of Justice of the European Union. Failing to halt this downward spiral is a genuine crime against humanity. These are, of course, strong words, but, unfortunately, the figures and the science speak for themselves unequivocally.

During the course of our discussions, we will explore how a new era is effectively beginning, in which the future of agriculture is becoming increasingly intertwined with the health of communities and society as a whole.

We share the same needs and are living through these same brutal times, marked by wars, the fragility of the international balance of power and the profound crisis affecting the entire European economy.

It is a difficult time, and it risks becoming even more so. Our situation stems from the idea that we could do without everything because everything could be bought wherever it was cheapest.

We are victims of a market-driven ideology that has been consigned to history, yet whose last remaining high priests are scattered across the eighteen floors of the Berlaymont, the impregnable headquarters of the European Commission and its all-powerful President, Ursula von der Leyen. We are in the midst of a crisis that is causing real pain, in which Europe, its workers, its entrepreneurs and its farmers are paying the heaviest price, and there is no government or policy capable of stemming this avalanche.

We need a different Europe – one that is different right from the start. A Europe capable of looking after its citizens and their needs, promptly and with tangible resources. A Europe that promotes peace, safeguards the health of its citizens, and upholds stability and cohesion, just as the founding fathers intended. That is the Europe we have loved, the Europe of the Common Agricultural Policy which brought peace to the continent and enabled Italian and European agriculture to lead the world in terms of quality and healthiness.

We will continue to fight for this Europe.