In today's society, the diffusion of the counterfeiting phenomenon has taken on considerable importance, which negatively affects both the quality and safety of products and the economic and social aspects.The problem takes on even more significant forms in the specific agri-food sector, where we are witnessing a particular phenomenology: the massive introduction of "cheap" products to meet the savings needs of many final consumers who are trying to make ends meet.
But with great frequency, the "low cost" product loses any guarantee on traceability, origin and originality required by national and EU legislation and international conventions, so that the security on its quality is also lost.
From an economic point of view, the agri-food sector in Italy is a strategic and leading sector for the whole national economy.
Italy is the European country that counts on the highest number of agri-food products certified according to the EU regulations, in terms of d.o.p. (denomination of controlled origin), i.g.p. (protected geographical indication) and t.s.g. (traditional specialty guaranteed) qualifications, to which are added the numerous wines between d.o.c.g. (denomination of controlled and guaranteed origin), c.d.o. (controlled denomination of origin) and t.g.i. (territorial geographical indication).
The activity of the Guardia di Finanza in the agro-food sector is based on the specific competences of economic-financial police and judicial police entrusted to the Corps by the current regulatory framework.
In line with the primary operational responsibilities entrusted to it by law, the Guardia di Finanza is primarily engaged in the fight against food falsification and counterfeiting and, only incidentally, on the occasion of the development of operational results that have emerged during other investigative activities, in the fight against falsification and adulteration, areas in which there is a pre-eminent competence of other police forces and the Central Inspectorate for the protection of quality and fraud repression of agri-food products (I.C.Q.R.F.), with which the Corps maintains constant operational collaboration.
The agri-food sector, moreover, is not solely affected by the illicit conduct just described, aimed at simulating the real origin, quality, composition and genuineness of the products. Operational experience, in fact, has uncovered various phenomena of illegality attributable to the following contexts:
- “fraud" in the collection of contributions from the financial instruments of the common agricultural policy of the European Union;
“deception" to the detriment of the social security system, with the undue obtaining of unemployment benefits, work and income support in the agricultural sector;
- tax “avoidance" and illegal work linked to real activities of exploitation of labor, in the form of so-called “illegal hiring";
- Organised crime “infiltration" in the management, acquisition and financing of agribusiness.
Therefore, behind the world of counterfeiting in the agri-food sector, in the widest sense of the term, there is a full scale illegal business that reverberates multiple effects.
The deceptive food product that ends up on the tables of Italians causes damage that is paid for, directly or indirectly by:
- “final consumers", who purchase a product that may be harmful and damaging to their health and sometimes even to their physical safety, often paying an "unfair" price that does not take into account the actual quality of the product;
- Legal and honest “economic operators" who suffer the unfair competition of “criminal" companies, which alter the rules of the market's proper functioning;
- “Treasury", which suffers in terms of lower revenues, given that most of the subjects operate in a situation of absolute clandestinity, failing to comply with all the reporting and payment obligations provided by current tax legislation, or cut the profits from illegal activities through the use of false invoicing;
- “State", which has to face problems of a social nature, such as the employment of undeclared workers (they are often irregular non-EU citizens);
- “image of Made in Italy", because the product of poor quality and/or altered directly affects the good name of Italian agricultural and food excellence.
The Italian agricultural and food heritage is one of a kind in the world for quality and assortment. Italian gastronomic culture and food products are famous and appreciated by consumers in many countries. This popularity has had as a consequence the growth of a parallel economy that, taking away market shares from protected products, causes heavy damages to Italian companies. This phenomenon is known as “Italian Sounding", i.e. the use of geographical denominations, images and brands that evoke Italy to promote and market products that cannot be traced back to our country.
Italian PDO PGI STG agribusiness continues to improve its year-on-year results and in 2019 reaches 7.66 billion euros in production value. The consumer value of 15.3 billion euros increases by +6.4% annually, with +63% in the last decade. These figures depend mainly on the consolidation and growth of large certified productions, but are also the result of the emergence of smaller supply chains and new PDO PGI products
On the export front, the Food IGP sector in 2019 reaches 3.8 billion euros, for a +7.2% on an annual basis, with PDO PGI agri-food exports that over the last decade have grown every year in value, for a trend of +162% since 2009. The main markets are Germany and USA, which cover almost 40% of PDO PGI food exports, followed by France, United Kingdom, Spain and Canada.
(Data source: " Ismea - Qualivita 2020 Report on Italian agricultural and food products and wine PDO, PGI and TSG).
