The “European Strategy for the Bioeconomy” adopted by the European Commission on February 13, 2012 has set from the outset the primary objective to address organically the production of renewable biological resources and their subsequent conversion into food and vital products, biofuels and bioenergy in order to improve food security, sustainable management of natural resources, the decrease in the use of fossil resources of water resources, the fight against climate change, and last but not least, EU competitiveness to create and maintain jobs.
Agriculture in this context plays a fundamental role in view of the progressive increase in world population (with exponential increase in demand for food) on the one hand, and on the other hand the objective circumstance that more than 10% of the European agricultural area is located on the Italian territory, a country boasting more than 250 quality products (PDO and PGI).
Our law firm, P&S LEGAL, has developed a solid expertise in providing assistance and advisory services to companies, consortia and institutional bodies operating in the agricultural sector.
The production segment has undergone radical changes over the last decade, driven by incremental technological innovations, such as the use of big data, artificial intelligence, sensors, IOT and more generally the so-called smart agriculture.
In this context, the role of the Italian agricultural industry will be increasingly central.
Our task is to direct economic operators and those who directly or indirectly work in the agricultural sector towards a necessary and inevitable transformation in order to compete on the market and win the biggest challenge of the 21st century: to produce more, and in a sustainable way.
Our team is able to provide expert consulting services, i.e. trade contracts, regulatory compliance and labelling, community contributions, CAP funds, fraud prevention, strategic out-of-court assistance, network agreements, purchase of rural funds and company branches, derogatory agreements, Consolidated Bill on forests and forestry supply chains, transfer of agricultural products, food & grocery, as well as disputes arising on every level before the competent administrative and judicial authorities: Ordinary Courts, Specialized Agricultural Sections, Forestry Corps, MIPAAF Agents, ICQRF, Regional Inspectorates and related).
Disputes tied to unfair commercial practices undertaken in the agro-food chain are widespread.
In accordance with art. 2135 of the Italian Civil Code, foresters and fishery entrepreneurs are treated in the same way as agricultural entrepreneurs, therefore our experts boast highly qualified assistance in related sectors such as fishing and forestry, as well as in special legislation on agritourism, bee-keeping and new forms of related activities.
From a strictly economic point of view, it is interesting to note that the Italian aggregate value generated by agriculture, forestry and fisheries jointly comes to some €60 million (almost 25% of the total bioeconomy in Italy).