In a nutshell there is no money for pensions, no. Not even for the Healthcare public or for adaptation to climate change. Nothing. But in the meantime the Italian division of the Swiss giant in the food sector and Nestlé drinks receives 60 million euros of state aid from our government To support the construction of a pet food system.
It was the European Commission, in fact, to grant Italian Nestlé the approval of the measure pursuant to the EU rules on state aid.
Now, given for granted that the new production plant of damp foods for pets, which will be based in Mantua, will be able to give new jobs, this decision will undoubtedly also feed the farm chain.
Which we didn’t need.
We are talking about public money that will go to one of the giants of the agribusiness, specifically to the Italian branch of Nestlé, who in 2023 invoiced 971.8 million euros – in short, certainly not someone who needs more money, they let Food for Profit know.
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Our taxes, which end up in the coffers of a multinational who in turn, despite the billionaire profits, is financed with public funds to build a new industrial system.
And here is the absurdity of this choice. In a country where many small and medium -sized enterprises struggle to survive, where sustainable agriculture and local producers arrange without adequate supports, the state decides to allocate huge resources to a global giant that has enormous gains and a very strong political weight. It is difficult to find a credible justification for this choice, if not the desire to support those who already dominate the market at any cost, often at the expense of the environment and consumer health.
This episode only confirms what had already been highlighted with Food for Profit and the debate on common agricultural policy (PAC): it is the great producers and multinationals of the agriBusiness that collect the most consistent slice of public funds, thanks to a network of powerful lobbies and a political influence that acts behind the scenes. The result? A unequal distribution of resources that perpetuates an industrial agricultural systemnot very sustainable and often responsible for serious environmental impacts, to the detriment of those who try to innovate with more ethical and green practices.
In a historical moment in which climate change requires a radical revolution of our productive models, financing agribusiness giants with public money appears not only unfair, but also counterproductive. Instead of rewarding those who invest in sustainability, protection of biodiversity and reduction of emissions, we continue to strengthen a system that profits on the shoulders of nature and local communities.
A paradigm change in public policies is needed, with investments aimed at supporting organic agriculture, short chain, small producers and sustainable innovations. Public money must be a tool to build a fairer and respectful future of the environment, not a fuel for the profit of a few giants.
