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OI Pomodoro Centro Sud: institution of an Ethics Committee
The approval of the Code of Ethics for Social and Environmental Sustainability, during the Assembly of the IO Pomodoro da industria del Bacino Centro Sud Italia, with Minister Bellanova in attendance, on 30 January this past year, consolidated the credibility of the entire Italian tomato sector's commitment in the area of sustainability. An operating protocol has since been adopted, which identifies the modalities for implementing and applying the principles of the Code.This is an important commitment for an interbranch organization that includes 48 processing companies, 18 producers' organizations and 6 representation bodies of the agricultural and industrial sectors, covering 12 regions, with an overall turnover of EUR 2.1 billion. In 2020, 5.16 million tonnes of tomatoes were produced in Italy, including 2.42 million in the south-central basin.
The Ethics Committee took office on 1 December, bringing together leading personalities including professor of public law Marida Dentamaro (University of Bari), journalist Antonio Mira, former Minister and current President of the Foundation for Sustainable Development Edoardo Ronchiformer, researcher and politician Isaia Sales, and reference authority for the ethics and sustainability program of the IO Fosca Nomis, who was previously responsible for the participation of civil society organizations in the 2015 Expo Milano.
“I would like to state once again that the industrial tomato sector is not a dirty sector,” said Minister Bellanova. “For me, there are no dirty sectors; just companies that commit crimes and must therefore be punished. We must not back down on this point and it is a job that we can only achieve together. We oppose presumptions of guilt, but we know how the fault of a few can damage the credibility of an entire industry, especially if a country halfway around the world makes unacceptable generalizations.”
“The Code deals with economic, social and environmental sustainability. This is a legitimate pathway, and we observe that [this goal] is now becoming a concrete operational program, far more than an important declaration of intent, to which I am fully committed.
There can be no real sustainability without the following three approaches: origin, traceability, respect for workers' rights, suppression of reverse auctions, and promotion of good agricultural and labor practices. These are all points of the document that correspond to what the government is putting in place for the sector. We are committed to fighting against illegal employment, as well as against unfair market practices. We will work with inter-branch organizations to raise awareness and promote your work. To that end, we need an institutional communication campaign at national and international levels. Together, we will identify its objectives and messages,” concluded Minister Bellanova.
Some complementary data:
– Video (in Italian with English subtitles) available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbyAoD0dopA&feature=emb_logo
– Full ethics code (in Italian):
