The occasion arises from the anticipated ruling by the Tar del Lazio, which on 9 April will be called upon to pronounce on the appeal lodged by a Friulian farmer against the decree banning the sowing of genetically modified maize.

In the meantime, 39 associations — from the agri-food and organic sectors, as well as environmental and consumer protection — are launching an appeal to institutions, urging them to commit to preventing GMO crops from being sown in Italy and across Europe.

"The problem facing our agriculture is not one of increasing production, but of giving genuine value to its products," declares Stefano Masini, coordinator of the task force. How? "Through the beauty of our territories, through the restoration of biodiversity frameworks, through the dignity of labour and distribution channels capable of enhancing the distinctive characteristics of agricultural products."

With an eye to the event that will make our country the navel of the agricultural world, of quality food and of sustainability in food production — Expo 2015 — the associations are therefore calling for Italy to avoid becoming entangled in the vicious cycle of genetically modified crops, and instead to pursue an agricultural model that promotes biological diversity, quality, and the protection of soil and resources: a model in which Italy is one of the driving sectors of the economy.

Italian farms have an average surface area of 8 hectares. On such a scale, a farm based on maize monoculture depletes the soil, reduces employment to a minimum, and is still unable to generate income for the farmer. An organic, diversified farm that produces quality products and sells through short supply chains, on the other hand, provides a service to the local area: it can deliver more jobs, greater environmental benefit, and higher income for farmers.

"GMOs are a topic we believe has never been explored thoroughly enough," explains Masini. "It is not true that we are obscurantists — quite the contrary. We want more research, but public research, independent research, carried out by universities that are free to engage with one another, not bound to the logic of power wielded by multinationals."

[box title="Le 39 associazioni per un'Italia libera da Ogm" style="soft"]Acli • Adoc • Adiconsum • Adusbef • Aiab • Amica • Associazione per l'Agricoltura Biodinamica • Assoconsum • As. Se. Me. • Campagna Amica • Cia • Città del Vino • Cna Alimentare • Codacons • Coldiretti • Crocevia • Fai • Federconsumatori • Federparchi • Firab • Focsiv • Fondazione Univerde • Greenaccord • Greenpeace • Isde • Lega Pesca • Legacoop Agroalimentare • Legambiente • Lipu • Movimento dei consumatori • Movimento difesa del cittadino • Slow Food Italia • Symbola • Uecoop • Una.api • Unci • Upbio • Vas • Wwf[/box]