Costantino Vaia Opens the World Tomato Congress

"Our sector," Vaia explained, "faces an inevitable challenge imposed by globalization, which it's important to seize through collaboration and dialogue. These are indispensable means to find new strategies and actions so that the tomato supply chain is productive, efficient, sustainable, but above all, long-lasting and independent of speculative practices. For this to happen, much also depends on the future agricultural policies of governments worldwide."
In this sense, the Congress represents a unique opportunity for discussion to find concrete solutions: today, the risk that tomatoes could face competition from other crops that are more attractive in terms of productivity and profitability is extremely high. "It's important," Vaia continued, "that the profitability of the raw material can be improved for sector operators, without solely burdening the end consumer, by addressing structural criticalities in our country, creating aggregation, dimensional growth, and forms of collaboration among the different links in the supply chain. Italy, with its 126 companies and a share of over 12%, represents the world's second-largest processor of industrial tomatoes, generating a turnover of approximately three billion euros, of which over 56% is destined for export. This demonstrates how significantly relevant this sector, perhaps too often overlooked, is for the entire economy."
And while it's true that the tomato supply chain holds significant weight in the global market, it's equally true that it represents a cornerstone product of the Mediterranean diet, recognized nutritionally as a food to be safeguarded and introduced into geographical areas where populations need nutrient-rich products like tomatoes. Not to mention that, due to its characteristics, it does not conflict with other types of diets or religious beliefs.

"We must aim to stimulate global distribution," Vaia proposed. "Tomatoes must be economically accessible: in such a challenging global resource management for nutrition, they represent one of the lowest-cost processed raw materials for the consumer, even while ensuring a fair distribution of value throughout the supply chain."

Italy, fully embracing the leadership role in the sector that the world recognizes, can pioneer such a far-reaching project, but it certainly needs to find a strong ally in institutions, ready to promote and invest in the strengths of the market players.
"Just a few months after Expo 2015," Vaia concluded, addressing Minister Martina, "I believe this event can represent a further opportunity to highlight the excellence of a supply chain, and the know-how and quality that the whole world recognizes in us."