OCTOBER 16 WORLD FOOD DAY

The Federation emphasizes that organic farming, by excluding the use of synthetic chemicals, plays a strategic role in strengthening the resilience of food supply chains: regenerating soil fertility, increasing biodiversity, and producing tangible benefits for the climate, the rural economy, and the well-being of citizens. At the same time, organic farming strengthens food security by enhancing local and community practices and reducing dependence on global supply chains and the risks associated with the intensive model.

“We fully share the theme chosen by FAO, which underlines the importance of global collaboration to ensure peace, sustainability, prosperity and food security, ” commented Maria Grazia Mammuccini, President of FederBio . However, it's not enough to ensure enough food for everyone; we need to provide healthy, quality nutrition, because health and well-being depend on what we put on our plates. Therefore, the transition to sustainable models in terms of food, society, economy, and the environment must be accelerated. A new vision of agriculture is needed, and the FAO itself has identified the agroecological approach as the strategic innovation that can contribute to the transformation process towards equitable, responsible, and sustainable food systems, which improve production and food security. Due to its characteristics, agroecology represents the agriculture of the future, capable of feeding the world while preserving the planet and local food communities.

The benefits of an organic diet are confirmed by a very recent experimental study from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, supported by the Ministry of Health, and presented as part of the "Organic Inside Us" campaign, promoted by FederBio, AssoBio, and Consorzio Il Biologico. The final phase of the study comparing the effects of the conventional and organic Mediterranean diets , " Effects of Italian Mediterranean Organic Diet on the Gut Microbiota: A Pilot Comparative Study with Conventional Products and Free Diet, " published in the scientific journal Microorganisms , demonstrated that just four weeks of an organic diet are enough to measurably alter the composition of the intestinal microbiota and significantly increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria, with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory effects.

The previous phase of the study based on the evaluation of urinary metabolites “ Organic food quality promotes the MIIA effect (Microbiota–Immune–Inflammation Axis) in an Italian Mediterranean diet ” , published in Metabolites , also confirms that the organic Mediterranean diet increases substances useful for energy metabolism and molecules essential for immune balance, reducing harmful substances linked to synthetic additives.

Choosing organic therefore means protecting both consumers and farmers from exposure to synthetic pesticides. The potential risks associated with pesticides are increasingly well documented. The Ramazzini Institute in Bologna, which has been engaged in in-depth studies for years, recently published its Global Glyphosate Study, confirming, in line with IARC assessments, the risks associated with glyphosate (and GBHs), among the most widely used herbicides worldwide.