OI Intercarneitalia urgently sent a letter to Minister Lollobrigida to stop the European Commission's retaliation against beef cattle breeding, which compares the meat produced to the dangerous and carcinogenic nature of cigarettes
Legnaro (PD), 27 October 2022
Dear Honorable Minister Dr. Francesco Lollobrigida, we learn that tomorrow, October 28, 2022, a meeting of the Promotion Section of the Committee for the Common Organization of Agricultural Markets will be held. During this meeting, the Commission proposal (attached) for the 2023 Annual Work Program of the EU Agricultural Product Promotion Policy (AWP 2023) will be voted on, in respect of which we ask you to indicate to the competent PQAI office to vote against Commission proposal because it discriminates against red and processed meat from the EU agricultural product promotion policy (an abstention by Italy would have detrimental effects because it could favor the approval of the proposal).
We highlight in particular sub-criterion (b) on page 28, concerning the contribution of the project to the objectives of the Cancer Control Plan, where it is planned to "encourage the transition to a more plant-based diet, with less red meat [beef, pork , lamb and goat meat] and processed meats and other foods linked to cancer risks (eg alcoholic beverages) ".
Maintaining these discriminatory criteria would not only have an impact on the allocation of European grants under European promotion programs in the internal market, but would also negatively affect the sectors concerned, both for consumers and for sectors whose efforts to improving livestock farming in terms of sustainability, in particular, would be made invisible.
We appeal to you, Honorable Minister, to intervene to block and remove these absurd discriminators, also advocated by authoritative members of the European Commission and Parliament, intent on promoting the development of synthetic meat imports of meat from third countries and aiming at the destruction of beef cattle breeding, ignoring the level of sustainability of European and Italian farms.
We refer, in particular, to Mr. Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission and Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, who are demonizing beef, in the same way as cigarettes, as she had already tried to do. the IARC - WHO in 2015, hypothesizing its carcinogenicity, then denied by themselves, news given to the international press which, to make animal rights and environmentalists happy, wrote of all kinds, with full-page headlines, to discourage consumption of meat, only to write some small articles, after rectification.
The Governments of France and Italy have decided with great courage and foresight to aim for "Food Sovereignty", aware that, as is happening with energy and technology, a country, a people, is not free, if it has to depend on others. Countries that for values, freedom and democracy have nothing to do with the European Constitution. Our protected beef cattle training system excels in:
- The professionalism of the operators;
- The level of animal welfare achieved;
- The quality and certification of zootechnical nutrition;
- The use of the drug, solely to save sick animals, as is the case with humans;
- The real environmental impact (emissions into the atmosphere) and the total compensation with the maintenance and protection of the territory;
- The importance of noble animal proteins, in the growth of children, the development of the intellect, the longevity of the population.
- The importance of animal husbandry entirely for ecosystem services rendered free of charge in terms of land maintenance, especially for inland areas where livestock farming is the only possible form of land management.
We have tried in every way to discuss with environmentalists and animal rights activists to make a common front on farming methods and systems so dear to them, to verify them jointly in order to demonstrate what "is good" and what is "bad" for animals and the environment, ready to intervene with our members for any improvements. For their part, no answer, as they financially feed their associations with contributions and donations, solicited by cruel images of farms, which we first condemn, as they bring discredit to the vast majority of honest breeders.
Environmentalists and animal rights activists are not interested in collaborating, they have a mission to fulfill: to shut down beef cattle breeding. Insinuating that "meat is carcinogenic" is a gift to them. Is this what we want for our Europe, for Italy? Will we open the doors to meat produced in the United States, where the administration of estrogen for the growth of cattle is legal while in Europe it is a penal code? Will we import meat from third countries where deforestation is not even news anymore?
Will we give credit and money to multinationals to produce synthetic, laboratory-processed food?
The attitude of the European Commission is absurd since it should favor the promotion of beef, encouraging information on quality, obtained with the application of recognized and controlled regulations, with the aim of giving economic advantages to farms for:
- Have financial resources to improve the protected breeding system, technology, animal welfare, food quality, climate, transport, drug use and many other conditions that would otherwise be difficult to implement;
- Avoid increasing production to try to compensate for the higher production costs of raw materials and energy.
In reading the actions of the European Commission, it seems that the pandemic never existed, that the war in Ukraine never broke out and that raw materials cost as much as three years ago.
We are counting on you to restore the truth about the beef cattle breeding system and, in thanking you for your attention, we send you our warmest cordialities.
The President of the National Processing Industry Committee
Dr. Serafino Cremonini
The President of the Interprofession and of the National Producers Committee
Alessandro De Rocco
INTERPROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION INTERCARNEITALIA
Via 1 Maggio, n. 7 - 35020 Legnaro (PD)
Tel. +39 049 8830675 - Fax +39 049 8839212
Email: info@intercarneitalia.it
www.intercarneitalia.it
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