27
Feb
2024
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Geographical Indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products (debate)
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I come from Franciacorta, a land in Brescia that has made excellence, sustainability and quality much more than a slogan. For us it is a way of life, not a matter of the market. This regulation strengthens EU food standards and quality and ensures that our cultural, gastronomic and local heritage is preserved and certified as authentic within the EU and worldwide. This means more protection for our specificities, for local productions and for that set of flavors and knowledge that make our territories so unique, like ours and my Franciacorta. In Brussels, farmers are protesting and I wonder: What is the point of defending our geographical indications if the majority of them damage our agriculture by assimilating it to industry? What's the point of defending our excellence if you impose synthetic foods and cricket flour on us? What's the point of banning alcohol from everyone because of a few drunks? It's like banning candy from children because sugar hurts your teeth. I would also like to see less ideology and more pragmatism in other dossiers. If we want to protect agriculture, wines and spirits, there is no more time to waste.