"Agriculture is the social dimension of the territory. It is a sector of excellence, which brings together people, technology, academia, culture. But it has always been mistreated. A sector most illegal immigration resorts to. It must not be like this. Saving agriculture means saving the history, but also the future of our country. Saving agriculture does not mean returning to the past, but looking to the future. In this way the agricultural sector can be a primary factor of social cohesion and productivity”.
These were the words of CNEL President Renato Brunetta at the 4th international meeting of the Erasmus project of Organised Civil Societies, focusing on the theme of rural development and depopulation of the countryside, organised today at Villa Lubin in the framework of the partnership between the Economic and Social Councils of European countries.
The meeting, which will continue tomorrow, 28 June, is being held in the framework of the partnership between the Economic and Social Councils (ESCs) of Spain, France, Bulgaria, Greece, Malta, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Romania and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
IRREGULAR WORK EXACERBATES DEPOPULATION OF THE COUNTRYSIDE, NO MORE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY
“The progressive depopulation of the rural world”, added President Brunetta, “is closely linked to the weight of irregular work in the agrifood sector, and therefore to the issue of migration flows. Undeclared work triggers processes of land degradation, service desertification and social impoverishment of communities. This is why we need regulated migration, integrated in paths of development and transparency, and Prime Minister Meloni was courageous in presenting, at the beginning of June, a report to the National Anti-Mafia Directorate on possible criminal infiltration in the management of applications for the entry of foreign workers. Alongside a strict control of legality, we need flows that provide training and screening at the source, according to the logic of bilaterality. No more lack of transparency. On this front, the contribution of intermediate bodies is fundamental”.
SINGH’S DEATH: MELONI’S CRY OF SHAME ON CAPORALATO HAS REASON TO EXIST
"The atrocious story of Satnam Singh, the Indian labourer who died after an accident at work on a farm in Latina, is a shocking and dramatic story that shakes our conscience. It is a story”, Brunetta said, “from which emerges a bleak picture of exploitation and arbitrariness, violation of safety regulations, lack of vigilance. Prime Minister Meloni’s cry of shame has reason to exist, as well as her call to renew the government's commitment to fight the scourge of “caporalato”, a phenomenon that is not only humanly deplorable, but that alters the dynamic between labour supply and demand, and impacts on the overall efficiency of labour markets”.
INTERMEDIATE BODIES ARE NEEDED TO DEAL WITH MAJOR TRANSITIONS
“We have been witnessing”, the CNEL President continued, “for a decade now, an increasing lack of representation and a progressive marginalisation of intermediate bodies. A progressive disintermediation aimed at wiping out intermediate bodies, workers' and employers' unions, the third sector. At erasing the cohesiveness networks of the local fabrics, of which the CNEL is the place of representation. We are seeing the results. The changes triggered by the great digital, environmental and demographic transitions must be managed, and for this the role of intermediate bodies is fundamental. We need social density. We need places and moments in which an overall vision of the profound ongoing changes can be recovered, and the increasingly articulate segments of institutions, the economy and society can have a voice and have a discussion. We need intermediate bodies and social networks”.
Francesco Lollobrigida, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, also took part in the first day's work.
LOLLOBRIGIDA: AGRICULTURE, KEY ELEMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND TERRITORIAL PROTECTION
“The government has taken on board an idea”, said Minister Lollobrigida, “that is spreading in Europe to other governments as well. The idea that we need to protect our production model and our consumption model. We also believe that agriculture is not only a place for food production, but also a key element in the protection of the environment and the territory. Italy has a long cultural and even regulatory history that sees agriculture as a dam for phenomena that make the land difficult to inhabit or subject to critical environmental events. Without agriculture, the territory is devastated. This idea has been also part of the history of the European Union since its origins, since the Treaties of Rome. The founding fathers of the EU were well aware of the centrality of agriculture, because the risk of depopulation was right in front of them. When it was launched, the CAP was geared towards guaranteeing income for farmers, but over time this concept has turned into something else. The principle of environmental protection must be sufficiently correlated with the principle of economic sustainability. This is why we believe that a review of the CAP and a change of perspective are necessary to relaunch the sector”.
TRIPODI: MAY EU INVEST MORE IN RELAUNCHING RURAL AREAS
“Rural areas make up more than 80% of the European Union's territory and represent a strong and cohesive social fabric. But we must pay close attention to the demographic decline of these areas. We need to create job opportunities, guaranteeing a sustainable future for young people. To counter the depopulation of the countryside, which in our country mainly affects the South, the digital divide must also be reduced. And a fair income for farmers must be introduced. The European Union needs to allocate more resources from its budget to the relaunch of rural areas”. Thus affirmed Maria Tripodi, Undersecretary of State to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
SCHMIDT: TO REPOPULATE THE COUNTRYSIDE INVESTMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE ARE NEEDED
Peter Schmidt, President of the EESC Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, said: “To repopulate rural areas, it is very important to invest in infrastructure. People living in rural areas need to be able to travel to the city for essential services. If this is not possible or is difficult, then it becomes complicated to build the social community needed for repopulation. We must also make workers in rural areas part of the European project, as Europe is the future”.
RISSO: RURAL AREAS ARE A COLLECTIVE GOOD
“On the depopulation of rural areas, it is crucial to network, trying to find shared solutions. We need to develop a culture of planning, which allows us to protect biodiversity, invest in maintenance, preserve the soil, take care of the forests. Planning means keeping rural communities active, so that they become an asset of collective interest, a common public good. We must make it attractive for families to return to inland areas, to the countryside. We must identify new development strategies. The CNEL can play an important role, to foster dialogue in a pact-based perspective”. Thus affirmed the vice-president of the CNEL, Claudio Risso.
REALE: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS ARE THE SOLUTION AND NOT THE PROBLEM
“Rural areas are the focus of the Sustainable Development Observatory. We believe that it is vital to promote the activities of civil society. We are also aware that it is vital to maintain a pragmatic and balanced approach. Sustainable development and the real economy must go hand in hand, as we cannot live in a dream world. I also want to mention one essential aspect: agriculture and farmers are the solution and not the problem”. This is what Maurizio Reale, EESC councillor and president of the Sustainable Development Observatory, said.
BELTRAN: CROSS-CUTTING POLICIES AND MEDIUM- TO LONG-TERM PROJECTS
“The Spanish ESC has always placed the enhancement of rural areas at the centre of its activities. The Spanish government involves us, asking for our contribution on the subject through annual reports. During the pandemic, the countryside was repopulated, but only temporarily. True repopulation can only happen through the creation of new jobs. But with no services, this prospect becomes impossible. There is therefore an urgent need for cross-cutting European policies capable of producing functional projects in the medium to long term. This was stated by Ana Beltrán, member of the Spanish ESC and Coordinator of the Employers' Group.
SHUKADAROVA: INVESTING IN YOUNG PEOPLE TO MAKE RURAL AREAS COMPETITIVE
"There is a big gap", said Natalia Shukadarova, an ESC member from Bulgaria, "between rural and urban areas, especially in terms of basic services, above all health and education. To address these critical issues and to promote rural development, change must be bottom-up. But at the same time we need public policies capable of shifting from the national to the European level. We need to make rural areas competitive, including through incentives for young entrepreneurs, interest-free loans and allocation of public land”.
STOEV: ACTION NEEDED ON DECARBONISATION
“One of the main problems for agriculture”, said Georgi Stoev, member of the ESC of Bulgaria, “is climate change, which triggers a number of effects in other areas as well, for example in terms of migration flows. To tackle the phenomenon of desertification in rural areas, it is therefore important to invest in decarbonisation. We must aim for a reduction in emissions in the agri-food industry, also to ensure food safety and consumer health”.
TORDEUX-BITKER: MORE DIGITAL TO REDUCE URBAN-RURAL GAP
“We have a duty to address two issues that are closely linked to the depopulation of the countryside: access to digital and the attractiveness of territories. Only in this way can we guarantee processes of social inclusion. As French ESC, we are working to stem the digital illiteracy that is present above all in the peripheral areas of the country. We are doing this by designing development projects that make citizens participate. The countryside only becomes attractive if there are efficient services. We have to understand how to make the best use of the European resources at our disposal, giving importance to the development of the countryside, the essential heritage of our territories, where the combination of tradition and innovation is perfectly achieved”. Thus stated Marianne Tordeux-Bitker, member of the EESC of France.
FERNANDES: GUARANTEEING FAIR PAY FOR THOSE WHO WORK IN RURAL AREAS
“It is necessary to guarantee fair pay for those working in rural areas, which are crucial for the social development of European countries. We must also bear in mind that the effects of technological transition and climate change have very significant effects on these areas, as well as being factors that can contribute to an increase in inequalities, in several European countries, first and foremost Portugal”. These are the words of Mr. Fernandes, a member of the Portuguese ESC.
- Video interviews in the gallery (below)