Abstract
Italy is the leading European rice producer. The transition to organic farming of rice farms could represent a solution for environmental protection, as well as for their economic sustainability, consumer safety, and as a measure of climate mitigation. However, there are currently several weaknesses in the control and certification system. The objective of the current study was to propose advice for improving the control and certification scheme in the organic rice sector. The goal was achieved by adopting a qualitative methodology based on participant observation at stakeholder meetings and community-led workshops, and information collected in focus groups and deep interviews with relevant local actors. The findings show that there are some solutions to mitigate the weakness of the Italian certification scheme. The study also contributes to improving the Italian organic rice sector by highlighting that a revision of procedures and sanctions alone is not enough, and that an ethical and cultural change is also needed along the whole value chain.
Highlights
Certified organic products are produced, stored, processed, handled, and marketed in accordance with precise technical specifications, which in the European Union (EU) are established by EU Reg. 889/2008 and certified by a certifying body (CB)
Participant observations during four SH meetings made possible an understanding that the certification system (CCS) of organic rice is a cause of great concern among all the actors in the rice sector
According to a widespread viewpoint among SHs, problems concerning the quality of organic rice are attributable primarily to the production phase and to a lesser extent to the following ones
Summary
Certified organic products are produced, stored, processed, handled, and marketed in accordance with precise technical specifications (standards), which in the European Union (EU) are established by EU Reg. 889/2008 and certified by a certifying body (CB) The latter is responsible for verifying that the operator acts in compliance with organic rules, and if verified, the product can be labelled as organic. In the EU, every country appoints a “competent authority” who is responsible for making sure that EU organics rules are followed This competent authority can delegate the certification of the products to (i) one or more private certifying bodies, (ii) one or more public control authorities, or (iii) a mixed system with both private certifying bodies and public control authorities [2]. In Italy, for example, the competent authority is the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (MiPAAF) and it delegates 20 private certifying bodies, 18 in the whole Italian territory and two specific to the autonomous province of Bolzano [3]
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