The visit of the national president
Cia Grosseto will also be in Brussels on December 18th with its own delegation, alongside Cia-Agricoltori Italiani, to participate in the major European mobilization against the risk of a structural downsizing of the CAP and to reaffirm the central role of agriculture in EU policies, not as a residual sector but as the continent's economic, social, and environmental pillar. Cia Grosseto's presence fully fits the Confederation's national agenda, and is shared and embraced in the Maremma region, where agriculture represents not only a productive sector, but a defining and structural element of the entire economic and social system. The visit to Grosseto by national president Cristiano Fini and director Maurizio Scaccia, who arrived in Grosseto on December 18th, is also part of this effort. Maremma to gain a closer understanding of the province's characteristics, gather the needs of agricultural businesses, and promote the region's needs in Europe.
Agriculture demands respect
"This is a very delicate moment," explained Claudio Capecchi, "where not only Maremma agriculture is at risk, but the entire economic, socio-cultural fabric is facing a worrying challenge. For this reason, we thank President Fini and Director Scaccia, who came to Grosseto to also represent the needs of this region. Even Grosseto agriculture does not demand privileges, but demands respect, because it guarantees safe food, environmental protection, territorial protection, and a future for rural communities." According to CIA, the prospect outlined in the new post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework, which envisions a possible dismantling of the CAP through the consolidation of resources into a single fund, represents an extremely dangerous step. This choice, as Fini emphasized at the national level, risks resulting in an estimated 22% cut in resources, reducing agriculture's share of the EU budget from 31% to 15% and resulting in a net loss of approximately €9 billion for the Italian system alone.
A land with a strong vocation
"For an area like Grosseto," Capecchi added, "these choices would have devastating consequences. Our land is perhaps one of the most agricultural in Tuscany; here, agriculture, economy, and society are intertwined and grow together. Targeting agriculture would impact the entire region, weakening the productive fabric, encouraging rural abandonment, and exacerbating the crisis in inland areas. A situation—it was explained to national leaders—exacerbated by the structural characteristics of the Maremma, where farming is incomparable to other flatter, more well-infrastructured areas. Much of the territory is hilly and mountainous, with higher production costs, logistical challenges, and increasingly compressed margins. Added to this is the growing impact of climate change, which manifests itself every year in extreme events, droughts, sudden rainfall, and the absence of a truly comprehensive water policy capable of ensuring water security and production continuity."
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So many problems to solve
Capecchi also highlighted one of the most critical issues for Maremma farmers: wildlife. This concerns not only the presence of wolves—responsible for significant damage to sheep and goat farms—but a broader range of species that threaten production, livestock, and the economic sustainability of agricultural enterprises. In terms of infrastructure, Maremma continues to suffer from historic shortcomings: an inadequate and often poorly maintained road network, poor connections, and poor digital infrastructure and internet coverage penalize farms, especially in the province's largest and most remote areas. All of this contributes to the slow but steady decline of inland rural communities, depopulation, and the abandonment of cultivated land and pastures, with serious consequences not only for the countryside but also for cities, which end up suffering the social and economic impacts of these imbalances.
The mobilization in Brussels
In this context, the mobilization in Brussels takes on a significance that goes beyond the defense of a single EU policy. As Capecchi pointed out, echoing Fini's words, the CAP cannot become a expendable variable, because without agriculture there is no food security, no environmental protection, no social cohesion, no future for the territories. Cia Grosseto will therefore be present on December 18th with its own representation to give a voice to Maremma farmers, but also to citizens demanding healthy food, sustainability, landscape protection, and prospects for future generations (source: CIA).
