soybean production in italy: agronomy, economics, and policy · 2019. 3. 14. · soybean production...

Soybean production in Italy: agronomy, economics, and policy Tiziana Centofanti Dept. of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Central European University ([email protected]) Why Italy is the largest producer of soya in EU? Since 1940 there have been attempts to introduce the soybean in Italy but the results have been disappointing. In 1980 the situation changed dramatically. The EEC had become completely dependent on imports of plant-based protein flour of which soybean represented about 60%. In addition, a surplus of grain was being produced with consequences on prices. In this context, promoting soybean production became not only desirable but vital. In addition, Italian farmers were looking for an alternative crop for rotations that would generate revenues (traditional beet-wheat rotation); alfalfa was becoming less profitable. More importantly, the Italian processing industry, capable of processing more than 2 million tons of seeds, was interested in national soybean production (Ferruzzi-Montedison). The alignment of these interests created the conditions necessary for the testing, introduction, and popularization of soybean in Italy. Why is Italy the largest producer of soybean in Europe? Agronomy of the farm (crop rotation and diversification, improved varieties) European and national agricultural policy (CAP, economic incentives) Environmental conditions (Temperature, rainfall, soil type) Historical context know-how (processing industry, technological advancements) Figure 1. Second-harvested soybean seeded on wheat stubble with the Kverneland Optima HD e-drive seeder. Source: http://www.ilnuovoagricoltore.it/. Figure 2. Soybean production (1000 t) in Italian regions from 2012 to 2017. Source: Eurostat. Table 1. Harvested production and cultivation area of soya in European countries (average 2015 -2017). Source: Eurostat. Harvested production (1 000 tonnes) Cultivation area (1 000 ha) EU-28 2440,1 892,9 Bulgaria 40,3 34,5 Czech Republic 20,2 12,3 Germany 19,2 8,0 Greece 4,4 2,0 Spain 4,1 1,3 France 334,2 122,0 Croatia 196,4 88,9 Italy 1 1170,0 309,0 Lithuania 1,8 2,6 Hungary 145,9 72,0 Austria 136,2 56,9 Poland 8,8 6,2 Romania 262,0 128,1 Slovenia 4,7 1,7 Slovakia 62,1 43,4 Switzerland 4,1 1,7 Albania 0,5 0,2 Serbia 454,4 184,8 Turkey 150,0 37,0 Bosnia and Herzegovina 10,4 7,0 How is soybean included in the CAP? Greening payment + rotation (crop diversification) = paired payment about 54-97 € ha -1 . As a rule, a diversifying crop is present in the field from April 1 st to June 9 th ; soybean fits the schedule. The payment for soya is destined to northern Italy, southern Italy receives greening payments for vegetable proteins other than soybean (Fig 2). There is an increased demand for non-GMO soya in the EU. Agronomy of the farm. Improved varieties, clear agronomic advantages of soybean because of N fixation, rotation crop on strip tilling (Fig. 1) for cost reduction and reduced need of plant health interventions. In Northern Italy soya is irrigated. Breeding for new improved varieties occurs in Friuli and Lombardia. Italian processing industry. 1980 - Gruppo Ferruzzi provided technical assistance to farmers and purchased soybean at a guaranteed fixed price prior to seeding. Soybean production area increased nearly tenfold in 1983 and then by 37% in 1984. Since 2008 - Sipcam and Cortal Extrasoy funded “ Soia Italia” a non-profit to organize and support farmers and to guide them through agronomic and market decisions. The European soya declaration is a very important policy action for the increase of soybean production.

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SoybeanproductioninItaly:agronomy,economics,andpolicyTizianaCentofanti

Dept.ofEnvironmentalSciencesandPolicy,CentralEuropeanUniversity([email protected])

WhyItalyisthelargestproducerofsoyainEU?Since1940therehavebeenattemptstointroducethesoybeaninItalybuttheresultshavebeendisappointing.In1980thesituationchangeddramatically.TheEEChadbecomecompletelydependentonimportsofplant-basedproteinflourofwhichsoybeanrepresentedabout60%.Inaddition,asurplusofgrainwasbeingproducedwithconsequencesonprices.Inthiscontext,promotingsoybeanproductionbecamenotonlydesirablebutvital.Inaddition,Italianfarmerswerelookingforanalternativecropforrotationsthatwouldgeneraterevenues(traditionalbeet-wheatrotation);alfalfawasbecominglessprofitable.Moreimportantly,theItalianprocessingindustry,capableofprocessingmorethan2milliontonsofseeds,wasinterestedinnationalsoybeanproduction(Ferruzzi-Montedison).Thealignmentoftheseinterestscreatedtheconditionsnecessaryforthetesting,introduction,andpopularizationofsoybeaninItaly.

WhyisItalythelargestproducerofsoybeaninEurope?

Agronomyofthefarm(croprotationand

diversification,improvedvarieties)

Europeanandnational

agriculturalpolicy(CAP,economicincentives)

Environmentalconditions

(Temperature,rainfall,soiltype)

Historicalcontextknow-how(processingindustry,

technologicaladvancements)

Figure1.Second-harvestedsoybeanseededonwheatstubblewiththeKvernelandOptimaHDe-driveseeder.Source:http://www.ilnuovoagricoltore.it/.

Figure2.Soybeanproduction(1000t)inItalianregionsfrom2012to2017.Source:Eurostat.

Table1.HarvestedproductionandcultivationareaofsoyainEuropeancountries(average2015-2017).Source:Eurostat.

Harvestedproduction(1000tonnes)

Cultivationarea(1000ha)

EU-28 2440,1 892,9Bulgaria 40,3 34,5CzechRepublic 20,2 12,3Germany 19,2 8,0Greece 4,4 2,0Spain 4,1 1,3France 334,2 122,0Croatia 196,4 88,9Italy 11170,0 309,0Lithuania 1,8 2,6Hungary 145,9 72,0Austria 136,2 56,9Poland 8,8 6,2Romania 262,0 128,1Slovenia 4,7 1,7Slovakia 62,1 43,4Switzerland 4,1 1,7Albania 0,5 0,2Serbia 454,4 184,8Turkey 150,0 37,0BosniaandHerzegovina

10,4 7,0

HowissoybeanincludedintheCAP?Greeningpayment+rotation(cropdiversification)=pairedpaymentabout54-97€ha-1.Asarule,adiversifyingcropispresentinthefieldfromApril1sttoJune9th;soybeanfitstheschedule.ThepaymentforsoyaisdestinedtonorthernItaly,southernItalyreceivesgreeningpaymentsforvegetableproteinsotherthansoybean(Fig2).Thereisanincreaseddemandfornon-GMOsoyaintheEU.

Agronomyofthefarm.Improvedvarieties,clearagronomicadvantagesofsoybeanbecauseofNfixation,rotationcroponstriptilling(Fig.1)forcostreductionandreducedneedofplanthealthinterventions.InNorthernItalysoyaisirrigated.BreedingfornewimprovedvarietiesoccursinFriuliandLombardia.

Italianprocessingindustry.1980-GruppoFerruzziprovidedtechnicalassistancetofarmersandpurchasedsoybeanataguaranteedfixedpricepriortoseeding.Soybeanproductionareaincreasednearlytenfoldin1983andthenby37%in1984.Since2008-SipcamandCortalExtrasoyfunded“SoiaItalia”anon-profittoorganizeandsupportfarmersandtoguidethemthroughagronomicandmarketdecisions.

TheEuropeansoyadeclarationisaveryimportantpolicyactionfortheincreaseofsoybeanproduction.