If you love Italy, read this
from hell to hail - a brief reflection on Italy's food future with the climate & food crisis
Written in an emotional tizzy after last Monday’s hail storm in Verona.
I am torn these days. Torn by watching the country I love face national disasters, from the hell of fires in the south to the dangerous hail storms in the north.
I think of the people who aren’t fortunate enough to have homes or nice hotels to turn to. I think of the vines, of the harvests potentially lost, and the income with it for small wineries. I think of construction workers enduring 40-degree days to keep roads functional for tour buses. I think of migrant agricultural workers living in poor conditions and working tirelessly to sustain the tourist’s demand for things like Italy’s classic cherry tomatoes as fires rage and the temperatures continue to soar.
It feels strange sharing happy-go-lucky Italian summer things when these realities (and many more issues) define this summer and years to come.
Avoid traveling to Italy in July and August, please
I’ve always told people that visiting Italian cities in the summer, particularly in July and August, is not a good idea. The cities are insufferably hot. And, there’s nothing cute about heat exhaustion. Go to the beach or the mountains instead.
But, now it’s a much larger issue than avoiding cities. It’s the carbon footprint of each tourist landing in Malpensa or Fiumicino. The demand for iconic Italian dishes with ingredients influences overfishing or illegal migrant labor. It’s the mounting food waste in the streets of Rome or Napoli. These are just some painful realities many avoid talking about because it kills the classic image of Italy as this ultra-aesthetic destination.
Do you know that Italy is facing the biggest migrant crisis since 2017? I lived in Italy then. The news was bone-chilling. Since January 2023, 900 migrants died crossing the Mediterranean. Yet, migrants aren’t only lost at sea - they disappear on land as well. Thousands are trafficked - women into sex work and men into agricultural work.
Tomatoes, peaches, zucchini flowers, oranges… many in the hands of migrant labor, which is not always entirely legal. I can’t help but think - what about the safety of these migrants? Where do they go when they go when fires rage?
I am not here to dive into the migrant crisis, something I still have a limited understanding of. I am more concerned with how many feel as if they left the real world upon entering Italy as if all those conventional food problems or pollution problems seemingly no longer exist.
The truth is - we rely on a hyper-global food economy that doesn’t operate on the idyllic notion that everything is ‘locally sourced,’ as much as I wish it could be. There’s a much bigger picture behind a plate of spaghetti pomodoro or insalata caprese.
Don’t get me wrong. Italy’s food culture is not all tainted. I am ardently passionate about this country's spectacular food traditions, geography, and history. However, you cannot discuss culture without present-day context. The concept of artisanality is shifting. Another example is the leather in Florence and Tuscany (but, that's another can of worms I am not opening today).
But, what about the tourist economy?
We can't argue against the fact that Italy's economy - particularly regions in the south - relies on tourism to thrive. This year’s tourism boom seems fantastic from a business perspective. But, is it sustainable for the long term?
That’s debatable. Tourism brings a larger demand for food, particularly the ‘local’ dishes like caprese salad or pasta with seafood. Italy doesn’t have the capacity alone to sustain the demand for all the cherry tomatoes, clams, zucchini, and whatever else. Yes, there are benefits to global trade. Yet, the political instability we face threatens that as well. An example: the War on Ukrainian affected global wheat supply and prices and its effects on pasta prices. These prices skyrocketed in Italy (at least a 16.5 percent increase in retail price) and this alone is already an internal conflict.
Then, we have the climate. Hail storms, floods, ice storms, fires… all in one summer that isn’t even over yet.
I guess what my point here is…
We see these illustrious, ethereal places as if they’re in some snow globe, not affected by what happens on planet Earth. The fact is that places like the Amalfi Coast, Palermo, Salento, etc… are all very much facing the temperament of Mother Nature.
Sure, there are pasta dishes, beaches, and Basilicas that endured thousands of years of invasions and Mother Nature’s mood swings. Regardless, they can’t continue to endure if we are not at least considering how our actions collectively contribute to the future of places we love.
I still remember seeing a fire erupt near Praiano (on the Amalfi Coast) during Ferragosto when I was a teenager. The entire mountainside in flames was frightening - a startling reminder that we are indeed vacationing on a rocky cliffside in a very isolated area that takes ferries or curvy mountain roads to get to. It’s not a playground. It’s a living breathing place on Earth. It pained me to think that people’s livelihoods and businesses could be gone in seconds flat.
Again, these are just my thoughts and reflections. It’s been an emotional, reflective summer. If anyone wants to discuss this further, reach out.
P.S. Wanted to share LIBERA, an amazing national organization. Their growing network of chapters is doing the much-needed work of creating more transparency and liberating societies from the chains of criminal organizations.
Their efforts are exceedingly important for the Italian food sector as mafias are still major landowners in the South. LIBERA even created LIBERA TERRA, an online retail shop selling organic goods from farms and producers liberated from mafia control. For example, you can buy mozzarella di bufala that’s LIBERA certified.
Well said and considered. After experiencing the crowds in southern Italy earlier this summer, I couldn’t help but think about whether the current situation is sustainable, especially in light of climate change.