The Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies presented the National Strategic Plan for the implementation and coordination of the CAP programs 2023-2027 to the European Commission, after Minister Stefano Patuanelli, in recent days, illustrated it to all parties involved, most recently at the Partnership Table. The Plan puts in place a unitary strategy, making use of the various tools available, starting from direct payments and common market organizations, rural development and PNRR.
The objectives of the PSN are to enhance the competitiveness of the system from a sustainable perspective, to strengthen the resilience and vitality of rural areas, to promote quality agricultural and forestry work and safety in the workplace, to support the ability to activate exchanges of knowledge, research and innovations and the optimization of the governance system.
To reach the goal of a sustainable and inclusive agricultural, food and forestry system, the Plan provides:
- around 10 billion euros, between the first and second pillars, for interventions with clear environmental purposes: in this context, the 5 national eco-schemes will assume great importance, to which 25% of direct aid resources will be allocated, which will support companies in the adoption of agro-ecological practices for climate-environmental sustainability. The eco-schemes will operate in synergy with 26 agro-climatic-environmental interventions contained in the second pillar, with an endowment of approximately 1,5 billion euros, with interventions in favor of sustainable forestry (500 million euros), with a series productive, non-productive and infrastructural investments for environmental purposes (650 million euros), with the environmental actions envisaged as part of the sectoral interventions of the common market organizations and the environmental investments of the PNRR;
- € 2,5 billion for organic farming, considered the privileged production technique to help achieve all the environmental objectives envisaged by the various European strategies;
- 1,8 billion euros for the improvement of animal welfare conditions and the fight against the phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance, in implementation of the Farm to Fork strategy. Both the eco-schemes of the first pillar and the interventions contained in rural development and in the NRP contribute to this objective; - a more equitable income aid system, through the progressive equalization of the level of income support which, taking the entire national territory as a reference, determines a significant rebalancing in the allocation of direct payment resources, to the benefit of intermediate rural areas and rural areas with development problems, as well as mountain areas and some inland hilly areas. At the same time, 10% of the national direct payments endowment is redistributed, focusing attention on small and medium-sized companies; - particular attention to the production sectors with greater difficulties, in order to take into account the challenges that some sectors have to face, in order to improve the quality, competitiveness and sustainability of the various production processes. An annual budget of about 70 million euros is intended to support the plant protein plan, with the aim of reducing Italy's level of dependence on foreign countries and achieving an improvement in organic matter in the soil;
- € 3 billion for the new risk management tools, in order to ensure a wider participation of farmers in the tools made available to deal with the growing climatic adversities of a catastrophic nature; the already proven instrument of subsidized insurance is in fact accompanied by the new national mutual fund, to which farmers also contribute through a deduction of 3% of direct payments; - strengthening the competitiveness of supply chains, with the aim of improving the positioning of farmers along the value chain, through greater integration of the various players, from supply management to the modernization of production structures. In particular, sectoral interventions dedicated to the wine, fruit and vegetable, olive, beekeeping and potato sectors contribute to this objective; - particular attention to young people, a heritage for the future of the agricultural and agri-food sector; the Plan envisages strengthening policies in favor of young people, integrating the instruments of the first and second pillars of the CAP, in order to mobilize a total of 1.250 million euros; - greater equity and safety in working conditions; the strategy intends to promote quality agricultural and forestry work, promoting greater transparency in contractual aspects and more safety in the workplace. With this objective, farm advisory services will be strengthened, to be addressed also to assistance on employment conditions and obligations of employers, as well as health and safety at work and social assistance in farming communities; - a new focus on rural areas, a heritage of diversity to be safeguarded and enhanced; the link of our food products with the territory, the traditional landscapes, the natural and cultural heritage represent a value not only for the competitiveness of the sector, but also for the socio-economic stability of the territory; - the promotion of the diffusion of sustainable forest management, to be pursued through the tools of forest planning, but also by providing support for all interventions capable of improving the prevention of damage caused by natural disturbances and extreme climatic events; - a new focus on the knowledge system (AKIS) at the service of competitiveness and sustainability; in order to support agricultural and forestry enterprises in adopting more sustainable and innovative production techniques, the introduction of new technologies, an important effort was made to overcome the fragmentation of the knowledge system, propose more effective tools and promote greater integration between consultancy, training, information and operational groups for innovation.
The PSN addresses the present and future challenges that the primary sector is facing: animal welfare and the reduction of antibiotic resistance, the digitization of the agricultural, food and forestry sectors for the improvement of economic and environmental performance, social inclusion , gender equality and working conditions. With green architecture and research support, it responds to the major environmental challenges launched in particular by the European Green Deal, Farm to Fork, the European Biodiversity Strategy and the European Forest Strategy. The planned investments will therefore make it possible to contribute to achieving greater long-term food safety and quality in 2027, a higher level of competitiveness of companies, a more efficient enhancement of natural resources, a rebalancing of value along the agri-food chains, a lower emission of greenhouse gases, safeguarding biodiversity, new jobs for young people and marginal areas.