News

New figures from Italian farming organisation Coldiretti suggest the turnover of the 'agri-mafia' is now estimated at €24.5bn per year, affecting the entire food supply chain from farm to table. In an attempt to combat this organised criminal activity, the Italian Council of Ministers has approved new legislation that it says would help crack down on the country’s big problem with agriculture and food fraud. The bill introduced tougher criminal penalties for “agribusiness piracy” crimes, such as selling products as made in Italy when they are not, falsely claiming foods are organic or outright counterfeiting. The new penalties apply to those who “produce, transform, package, distribute, sell or profit from” fraudulent agricultural products such as extra virgin olive oil. 

Read the article here

Italian Agriculture Cooperative, Coldiretti says that the Italian Mafia has managed to infiltrate the agriculture and food industry in the country, earning more than €16 billion in 2015. A study published by Coldiretti, as well as Euripes and the Observatory for Agri-food Crime, reveals that organised criminal groups are exploiting ongoing economic difficulties in the country to take control of agricultural land and enterprises. Organised crime gangs profit in various ways, from counterfeiting recognized products such as olive oil and mozzarella cheese, to the theft of entire herds of animals. 

Read more at: http://www.esmmagazine.com/italian-mafia-said-to-earn-over-e16-billion-from-italian-food-sector/24581

In Italy, Bill Whitaker a reporter from CBS News in the USA finds out that the long arms of the Mafia extend to agricultural products, especially olive oil, on which the mob makes huge profits by exporting imitations.

Read full article and video interview at:  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-agromafia-food-fraud/