Within the framework of a 2018 plan, called Progetto Nocciola Italia, the company intends to increase the national production of walnuts by 30%, to reach 90,000 hectares in 2025.
Italian farmers worry about their land after the decision of the Italian brand Ferrero, producer of Nutella chocolate cream, to increase hazelnut production in the country, reports the Financial Times.
Nutella has decided to move the part of the manufacturing of walnuts for its main product from Turkey to Italy, in response to demands from Italian manufacturers to shorten supply chains, boost local production and increase vigilance of sustainability and products. labor rights. As part of a 2018 plan, called Progetto Nocciola Italia, Ferrero intends to increase the national production of walnuts by 30%, to reach 90,000 hectares in 2025.
However, the move raised concerns among farmers and local ecologists about potential threats of acreage depletion and plant diseases. According to experts, walnut plantations where they do not grow naturally, particularly by the sea, can deplete underground aquifers and deprive animals of their habitat. In addition, they argue that large fields with the cultivation of a single species contribute to the spread of plant diseases and pests.
For his part, Ferrero refutes allegations that his actions are harmful to the environment. “Hazelnut cultivation is not destroying rural Italy,” the company told the Financial Times.
