Europe’s organic market reached a record €59 billion in 2024. Italy leads in organic farmland share and number of producers, says FiBL report.
Dormex, a banned chemical substance, returns to kiwi cultivation
Italy’s Health Ministry has temporarily authorised the use of Dormex in kiwi plantations in southern Italy. The substance has been banned in the country since 2008 due to its toxicity
The use of a chemical product previously banned has been temporarily authorised for kiwi cultivation. The product is Dormex, and the authorisation was granted by Italy’s Ministry of Health as a temporary measure for February and March in five regions of central and southern Italy: Lazio, Campania, Basilicata, Calabria and Puglia.
What Dormex is and why it was banned
Dormex is a plant growth stimulator that helps plants resume vegetative activity after the winter season. In practice, it regulates the awakening of plants when this process is disrupted by winters that are too mild. It induces bud opening, ensuring more uniform flowering and fruit ripening while making plants more resistant to pathogens.
Dormex was banned in Italy in 2008 and across the European Union in 2022 due to its high toxicity and harmful effects on the skin. It is also suspected of posing cancer risks and potential damage to fertility, the fetus and internal organs in the case of prolonged or repeated exposure among farmers. The substance is also considered dangerous for aquatic organisms.
Some investigations have shown that Dormex was still circulating on the black market. Last April, for example, the Financial Police and the Customs Agency seized 40 tonnes of the product at the port of Bari.
Dormex used to address climate change and foreign competition
Italia Ortofrutta, an association representing 156 producer organisations, welcomed the temporary authorisation granted by the ministry. “The authorisation represents a concrete response to the needs expressed by kiwi producers and allows our farmers to rely on an essential tool to continue production during this delicate period marked by climate change.” The organisation said in a statement.
The Ministry of Health had previously issued a negative opinion on the return of Dormex, but the authorisation now appears to have been granted partly to maintain competitiveness. Greece, Italy’s main competitor in kiwi production, had already authorised the emergency use of Dormex. As reported in Il punto by Coldiretti, “the fact that Greece had already granted emergency use for this agricultural season would have exposed Italy to a competitive disadvantage in the marketing of kiwis, which represent a crop of significant economic importance for our country.”
Coldiretti now argues that it is necessary to identify an alternative active substance with similar effectiveness that could be introduced on the market in the short term.
Slow Food: “The solution lies in research and agroecology”
For Slow Food Italy, however, the alternative should not be another chemical product but rather agroecology. “The new authorisation of Dormex represents a step backward in the agroecological transition that European agriculture needs,” said Francesco Sottile, professor at the University of Palermo and vice president of Slow Food Italy. “The difficulties faced by producers due to climate change and the agronomic challenges it brings cannot be ignored, but the answer cannot be a return to synthetic chemicals — especially molecules that raise concerns about risks to human health and the environment.”
According to Sottile, the solution lies instead in greater investment in research, the promotion of biodiversity and nature-based farming practices that allow farmers to remain competitive without compromising health, the environment and soil fertility.
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