‘Food for profit’, Lollobrigida contests: “Animal abuse isolated cases”. Innocenzi: “Cruel practices permitted by law”

The Minister of Agriculture defends the sustainability of the Italian agricultural model. The author of the documentary answers him

ROME – The Minister of Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida after the broadcast on Report of the documentary film ‘Food for profit’ publish a post on social media in which he speaks of “generalized criminalization of our farmers” and warns against certain investigations: “I wonder if it is useful on state television for our agricultural production to be continually passed off as the result of ‘practices harmful’. Those who act incorrectly are exceptions.” The minister is especially keen to underline that: “The Italian agricultural model is considered among the most respectful in the world regarding environmental sustainability and animal welfare”.

Answering him is one of the authors of the docufilm, Giulia Innocenzi who with Pablo D’Ambrosi denounced the links between the meat industry, lobbies and political power. “As often happens in the face of investigations like ours, the farms are defended, saying that they are isolated cases – claims the reporter – As we always say what we show are not isolated cases, we have given hidden rooms to the investigators who they filmed day by day what happens on the farms, violence is inherent in these places also because cruel practices are actually permitted by law”. And he continues: “We tell the minister that instead of pointing the finger at journalists who ‘criminalize’ the sector, it would be a good idea to adopt a critical spirit towards these farms that he personally represents, therefore taking a look at that not only considers profit and productivity but also animals and the environment, also because in these places there is absolutely nothing of animal welfare and environmental sustainability”.

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“Of course – concludes Innocenzi – we are also surprised that your ministry only found out about our documentary through Report also because we screened it in the European and Italian Parliament. However, this is good, better late than never Does this lead to anything?”.

The minister, meanwhile, writes in the post: “In the meantime and in doubt, having personally learned only today from the preview of the broadcast of the risk that those practices will continue and believing they are not tolerable I have already reported to our Carabinieri of the Agri-food the need to intervene immediately“.