Conflict in Ukraine: the new order of agriculture

The war in Ukraine drastically changed the landscape, leading to changes in the agricultural economy, in the geography of production, and in the supply chain for industry starting with energy. The new structures were discussed in Bologna, in the setting of the FederUnacoma General Meeting, in a debate that saw speakers such as economist Carlo Cottarelli, geopolitical analyst Dario Fabbri, former Minister of Agriculture Paolo De Castro and FederUnacoma President Alessandro Malavolti. The reduction of commodities from Russia and Ukraine – noted FederUnacoma’s president Alessandro Malavolti , - will result in a new geography of cereal and oilseed production. This situation - explained analyst Dario Fabbri - will lead Italian agro-mechanical companies to seek new destination markets for their production. In Italy - said economist Carlo Cottarelli - there is no risk of a recession, but uncertainty is linked to the increase in sanctions and therefore the growth in the cost of energy materials. Paolo De Castro, MEP and several times Minister of Agriculture, noted from Brussels that agri-food exports from Russia and Ukraine to Europe do not affect the sector budget of the European Union, which was and remains the world's leading exporter of agri-food products. The Italian agricultural machinery industry is facing a difficult phase, being exposed to both agricultural and industrial variables, but it plays a central role as it is necessary to improve productivity and at the same time use natural resources in a sustainable manner. The Italian industry is a world leader in this sector - said Agriculture Minister Patuanelli in his video message - and the support action that the government is taking to incentivise the purchase of new-generation equipment is very important.