Consumers in Italy cut the purchase of fruit and vegetables

Italian households have seen a decrease in the purchase of fruits and vegetables by 11% in quantity in the first half of 2022, due to economic challenges and high prices, according to a analysis by Coldiretti, Filiera Italia and UNAPROA. This includes a 16% reduction in courgettes, 12% in tomatoes, 9% in potatoes, 7% in carrots, and 4% in salads, while oranges have seen an 8% drop. Only the sales of salads in bags have increased by 7% in the same period. The situation is attributed to rising retail prices and low prices paid to farmers, who often do not cover production costs. The national fruit and vegetable sector, which employs 440,000 people and has a turnover of 15 billion euros per year, is facing increased costs and competition from countries like Turkey that have lower production costs. The article calls for immediate action to contain energy and production costs, improve infrastructure connections, and criticizes EU trade agreements that facilitate imports from countries that use prohibited pesticides and exploit low-cost labor.