The assembly of members of Unaprol, Italy’s union of olive oil producers, renewed the board of directors and unanimously reelected David Granieri as president at a meeting in Rome.
Unaprol brings together 56 producer organizations. The renewal of the managerial positions of the group started in February with Nicola Di Noia’s direct appointment as new director-general.
Alongside Coldiretti, we are proposing a package of extraordinary measures to assist agricultural companies and mills.- David Granieri, president, Unaprol
“I sincerely thank all the associates for their trust, especially since today, more than ever, we need to work hard to relaunch the Italian olive sector,” said Granieri, a 41-year-old agricultural entrepreneur, who has been in office since 2014 and is also currently the vice-president of Coldiretti and president of Coldiretti Lazio.
According to Unaprol, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused €2 billion ($2.25 billion) in losses to the Italian olive oil sector, mostly due to the shutdown and difficult restart for bars, restaurants, and farmhouses.
The pandemic also has created new obstacles for exporters, led to a substantial drop in tourism and coincided with a 44 percent drop in prices, which is mostly attributed to abundant global olive oil stocks.
“In order to address these issues, we are calling for the activation of innovative tools in favor of the sector,” Granieri told Olive Oil Times. “Alongside Coldiretti, we are proposing a package of extraordinary measures to assist agricultural companies and mills.”
He said that priority would be given to producers most at risk, “with the immediate release of the resources already allocated for the enhancement of the olive oil supply chain.”
“Yet, we also need flexibility mechanisms, massive support for exports and an extraordinary communication plan on olive oil,” Granieri added. “Moreover, we will work to teach consumers to recognize and choose quality as well to support the companies that pursue it.”
Granieri stated that among the next objectives of the producer’s consortium is also the proposal for a revision of olive oil classifications with stricter parameters in order to assign the designation ‘extra virgin’ only to quality productions.
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