Apples are among the fruits most contaminated by pesticides and for years, various independent investigations and official reports have reported high levels of residues, especially in regions with the highest production intensity. Among these, Alto Adige stands out, the heart of Italian apple growing and one of the main European centers for quantity and quality of the harvest.
Behind the tidy expanses of apple orchards in Alto Adige lies an increasingly heated dispute between those who point the finger at excessive use of chemical substances and those who, instead, defend their agricultural practices.
The accusation of environmentalists: “Up to 25 treatments for each harvest”
According to the Stop Pesticides Alto Adige/Südtirol volunteer network, up to 20-25 treatments with pesticides and other synthetic chemicals would be necessary each season to obtain a healthy and uniform apple harvest.
Environmentalists point out that this practice is not without consequences: pesticides contaminate water, soil and air, with direct effects on human health and biodiversity. In support of their complaint, they cite Istat data which speak of 4.6 million kilograms of pesticides sold every year in the region and the study “Agriculture Alto Adige 2020” by Eurac Research, which estimates the use of between 80 and 120 kg of plant protection products per hectare.
According to the group, the most used substances include Captan, Ditianon, Fluazinam and the best-known Glyphosate, all considered dangerous for the environment and health. Some of them, they state, “they can be used up to ten times in the course of a year”, and the product technical data sheets themselves report risks of toxicity, eye damage, carcinogenic effects or damage to fetuses.
The petition calling for a ban on the use of the most dangerous pesticides
To ask for concrete change, the Stop Pesticides Alto Adige/Südtirol group has launched an online petition on Change.org, which has already collected almost 2000 signatures. The objective is clear: to obtain a ban on the four most dangerous active ingredients used in South Tyrolean apple orchards and to promote a transition towards more environmentally friendly cultivation methods.
Specifically, the petition talks about these active ingredients:
The appeal is addressed to the producer consortia – including Assomela, Melinda, La Trentina, VOG and VIP – as well as to the agriculture and health councilors of the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano. According to the promoters, eliminating these substances would mean protecting public health and that of ecosystems, reducing contamination that is now widespread even in mountain areas and waterways.
The producers’ response
From the producers’ side comes an equally firm reply. The Alto Adige Apple Consortium, led by Georg Kössler, rejects the accusations, calling them unfounded and the result of outdated data:
South Tyrolean fruit growing – they say – is based on responsible, scientifically based and constantly monitored plant protection.
All the apples in the region, they point out, are grown according to the principles of Integrated Production (Agrios) or organic farming, which impose stricter standards than European regulations.
Our principle remains as clear as possible, only when necessary – adds the Consortium -. With responsibility towards people, nature and the future of the territory.
Official analyses, the producers claim, show that the residues present in South Tyrolean apples are well below the legal limits, on average less than a third of the maximum permitted value. Pesticides, they explain, have an important role in protecting the health of plants and the quality of fruit, avoiding crop losses and food waste.
