The war in Ukraine is also having an impactSurroundings. Some direct and immediate, others indirect. In any case, there is a risk of paying the price in the not too distant future. Because governments are changing political agendas in the name of real and perceived needs that have arisen after the conflict. And that means turn around and slowdowns To many fightsfor example for sustainable agriculture, against deforestation or for energy decarbonization.
To leave the dependency of gas Russianthe Draghi government has proposed solutions such as opening coalfired power plants and increasing national gas production, even when it comes to helping families struggling with expensive (preconflict) bills, unlike other interventions approved so far, provided for by the Energy Decree retreat at additional profits of the big names in the generation and distribution of energy from fossil sources. In the meantime it is suggested move the entry into force of the new (and already unambitious) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), while European lobbies are pressuring to suspend targets contained in the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the Farm to Fork. In Italy we are calling for the opening of ports to maize from areas where GMO varieties are grown or where pesticide limits are less stringent than in Europe. And since supplies of sunflower oil from Ukraine are running outIndustry will be able to use palm oil. However, the cultivation of soy, palm oil, cocoa and coffee is responsible for 80% of global deforestation, in addition to the need to make room for pasture for meat production.
The Direct Effects of War All this adds up direct consequences Conflicts, such as the environmental costs of armies’ production and use of fuel, energy and weapons, of asbestos roofs being blown up, of fires. In short, the pollution already caused and the resulting ecological risks. In the Donbass region alone, there are 900 industrial plants, including 248 mostly derelict (140 coal) mines, 177 highrisk chemical sites, including 113 using radioactive materials, and old abandoned coal mines polluting the water basins. Meanwhile, the rest of Europe is watching very untenable solutions stop emergencies. Especially in relation to agricultural raw materials that came from Ukraine and Russia.
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The turning point in the CAP and European strategies The new Pac to come into force from 2023, but the Minister of Agriculture, Stefano Patuanelli aims to “postpone or revise the national strategic plans during this emergency period, suspend the measures to limit production, allow the use of fallow land and pastures and introduce a flatrate contribution from the ground up for all agricultural land used. CopaCogeca (European lobby group, which also includes farmers’ associations) calls for the suspension of the European targets to make the sector more sustainable, contained in the European strategy on biodiversity and in the farmtofork strategy. The planned designation of small proportions (10% or 4%, depending on the measures) of agricultural land with natural elements to protect biodiversity is at risk.
Real and fake emergencies In Italy, however, theNational Cerealists Association (Anacer) wrote to Patuanelli and the Secretary of State Luigi di Maio, laments the consequences of the “blockade of cargo from the Black and Azov seas” and the lack of alternatives. In particular, the problem arises for Corn which sees Ukraine as Italy’s second largest supplier (after Hungary) with a share of around 20% in imports. Between January and November last year, Italy imported around 733,000 tons of grain from Ukraine, mostly its own corn (600,000 tons). The association has asked to allow, for a period of six months, imports of maize from the United States and Argentina, which are currently restricted by EU legislation allowing GMO varieties not authorized in the EU to enter the United States grown while Argentina respects restrictions Maximum levels for pesticide residues are less stringent than in Europe.
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The speech of other cereals. An analysis of the effects of the Ismea War shows that the increase in the price of grain in general (and therefore wheat) was earlier and only partly due to the conflict. Why, as he explains to Federica Ferrario, Greenpeace Agriculture Campaign Manager, “coupled with a decline in global production due to climate change (particularly the drought that hit Canada and reduced durum wheat production by 60%), an increase in energy costs and speculative momentum since listed assets”. In fact, Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of grains and oilseeds, “but with a limited role in the European Union’s overall grain supply, while their wheat arrives mainly in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. There are different estimates of the share of soft and durum wheat imported into Italy from Russia and Ukraine, but it does not exceed 5%. They deliver wheat to Italy France (19.9%), Canada (14.4%) e.g Hungary (13%). In fact, if there is a problem, it comes from Budapest, which initially suspended its grain exports in order to ship the shipments of soft wheat and corn already purchased.
What Grains Are Really Used For (And More): The Growing Node However, around 60% of the grain used in Europe is destined zootechnics, i.e. fed to animals, while only 24% is used for direct human consumption. As he explains Coldirettithe corn shortage is and is endangering “one in four farms. raise meat prices. And it is no coincidence that in the draft of the European deforestation law discussed in recent months, there are no references to corn, along with pork and chicken. Despite the impact of these productions. Between 2015 and 2020 the world lost about 51 million hectares of foresta soccer field every two seconds, mainly due to the expansion of industrial agriculture.
The pressure of the raw material rush on the forests The pressure has also been felt since the beginning of the conflict. After the cessation of grain deliveries from Ukraine, Hungary and also Bulgaria, many farms have started to buy feed supplies in South America (Argentina and Brazil are among the world’s largest soybean producers), which is affecting the price level. A pressure that is linked to different raw materials, but which, according to experts, will increaseAmazonia cannot afford that: Deforestation hit a new record in February with 199 square kilometers disappeared. Now Argentina has blocked the export of soybean meal and oil. And if, on the one hand, a lot of attention is paid to the feed that does not reach the farms, on the other hand, not so much attention seems to be paid to animal welfare. Not only at European level, with the possible postponement of an already unambitious CAP. but also in Italy. The fourteen associations that make up the ‘Coalition Against #BugieInEtichetta’, which also includes Animal EqualityCIWF Italia Online, To be animals and Lav report that “the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture are preparing to approve a decree introducing a misleading ‘National Quality System for Animal Welfare'” to the detriment of animals, the environment and consumers. All with funds from Pac and Pnrr.
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The solutions for gas independence Another very sensitive issue is that ofIndependence from Russian gas. The EU Commission wants to “priority to diversifying imports of fossil gas and importing other fuels such as hydrogen and biogas without phasing out the use of fossil gas.
Several solutions proposed by the Draghi government, some of which will be nipped in the bud: from increasing national production of fossil gas to supply from other countries, from the possible restart of coalfired thermoelectric groups to those running on fuel oil , from doubling the number of gas pipelines in service to building new regasifiers. And while the government had previously planned to tax extra profits from renewable energy to help families and businesses with big bills, the energy decree sent a different signal. This time the measures should be financed with a Tax on ancillary profitsi of the companies that produce and distribute Energy from fossil sources.
The nuclear threat, more than a deterrent But among the solutions there are also theseenergy of the atom. Despite or precisely in view of the nuclear threat. Draghi said that “technical and economic efforts are focused on magnetic confinement fusion”. The only difference is that the Iter reactor in Europe will not be connected to the grid until 2035 at the earliest if things are not running smoothly. And we’re talking about forecasts. The only thing that is certain at the moment is that the construction work has been temporarily stopped. With all due respect to the energy emergency. While on the already available renewable Since last autumn the government has released 1.4 GW, a far cry from the 8 GW per year needed to meet EU targets and also from Confindustria’s Electricity Future: “Release 60 GW of new plants by June” to be built in three years. It would save 15 of the 29 billion cubic meters of gas Italy exported from Russia in 2021.