Italy-USA: Martina meets Secretary Perdue in Washington

Rome - A positive meeting in Washington between Italys Minister Maurizio Martina and Sonny Perdue, the US administrations Secretary of Agriculture. The meeting provided an opportunity for launching a first exchange of views between the two nations in view of the Agricultural G7 in Bergamo on October 14 and 15, dealing with crucial issues such as protecting agricultural incomes from the crises caused by market instability and climate change.

"The United States too stated Minister Maurizio Martina despite having a radically different model from Italys, needs to find new methods for protecting sector incomes against market crises and climate change, which are creating increasingly serious difficulties for our agricultural economies. This administrations first Farm Bill will therefore need to take on different responsibilities, just as we are having to do in Europe with the new reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, which has to satisfy concrete needs.

"Also tabled for discussion, various dossiers on food and agricultural trade between Italy and the USA."We need to do further work on harmonizing health and plant protection standards concluded Martina so as to guarantee consumers maximum safety and transparency, while also trying to reduce costs for our companies and to develop good relations. On reciprocal trade and protection issues, we have different points of view, especially on the subject of Geographical Indications. In any case, our commitment to finding a useful common ground remains total."