Enpaia:“For 7 out of 10 Italians, agriculture is the key to the fight against 'climate change'”

Green fear and eco-anxiety affect 47.3% of citizens

ROME – Agriculture is at the forefront and has an active and well-recognizable role in the lawfight against climate change. This is what emerges fromObservatory of the agricultural world Enpaia-Censis “Italian agriculture changing in the challenge of sustainability” presented today in Rome, according to which for Italians, faced with the worsening of some global threats to environmental sustainability, agriculture is the key to finding long-lasting and wide-ranging solutions.

THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY

In fact, it emerges from the study that pFor 68.9% of Italians, agriculture plays a primary role in addressing the effects of global warming and is fully committed to promoting environmental sustainability.According to the survey, the belief finds a consensus across social groups, and in particular is shared by 58.8% of young people, 68.5% of adults and 75.1% of elderly people. From the Observatory it emerges that Italian agriculture is in constant productive transformation, and how its businesses (690 thousand) and its employees (834 thousand) have activated virtuous mechanisms of adaptation to climate change, creating the conditions for a sustainable, safe, accessible food offer which is confirmed in family purchases.

It is also recognised economic and social relevance of the sector. In fact, from the Enpaia-Censis Observatory, it is noted that 80% of primary goods consumed by families come from Italian agriculture, a clear sign that certifies the economic and social importance that agriculture exercises and represents in our country.A central role that is also exercised at a European level, placing Italy in second place in the EU ranking of agricultural added value with over 37 billion euros, equal to 16.7% of the total European agricultural added value.Also in terms of production, Italy, with a value of 71,158 billion euros (13.3% of total European agricultural production) is in third place in the EU ranking, surpassed only by France (96,575 billion euros equal to at 18%) and Germany (74,535 billion euros, 13.3%).

With regard to the fight against climate change in a few years we have witnessed a Copernican change on the topic.The Observatory tells us that we have gone from a certain distrust to one very strong environmental sensitivity.In fact, recent data published by Eurobarometer indicate that in 2023, 82% of Italians now consider climate change to be a very serious problem compared to 77% of the EU average.Only 3% of Italians now consider it an irrelevant problem, while the EU average is 7%.On the other hand, the share that declares that they feel directly involved, with concrete daily behaviors, in the fight against climate warming has become an absolute majority (52%).

There is also the phenomenon of 'Green Fear' and 'Eco-Anxiety‘.Climate change has in fact changed the beliefs of the past and we observe high shares of Italians worried about a multiplicity of negative, catastrophic environmental events, perceived as much more threatening than a few years ago.

These fears are at the origin of a new form of fear and social anxiety linked to the multiplicity of adverse events of environmental origin. There is talk of "green fear" and eco-anxiety, social phenomena that affect 47.3% of Italians which evaluate some environmental phenomena as more threatening than in the past.On top of their concerns, there are for 81.4% the melting of glaciers, for 78.7% the pollution of the seas, for 77.4% serious adverse atmospheric events such as water bombs or violent hailstorms, for 77.3% hydrogeological instability, while for 76.8% the threat of drought or shortage of drinking water is the most perceived emergency.Eco-anxiety cuts across social groups and shows a high level of concern in 57.6% of elderly people, 43.7% of adults and 41.3% of young people.Finally, by Italians, Italian agriculture and livestock farming are considered sustainable and in line with social and environmental changes.This is why the narratives that continue to consider livestock farming and agriculture always and only among the primary causes of global warming and the difficulty of starting a transition towards a more sustainable society appear specious.Adaptation to the transition by agricultural and livestock businesses has been underway for some time, is producing clear results and is widely recognized by Italians.