Italy is the leading European rice producer. The transition to organic farming of rice farms could represent a solution for environmental protection, as well as for their economic sustainability, consumer safety, and as a measure of climate mitigation. However, there are currently several weaknesses in the control and certification system. The objective of the current study was to propose advice for improving the control and certification scheme in the organic rice sector. The goal was achieved by adopting a qualitative methodology based on participant observation at stakeholder meetings and community-led workshops, and information collected in focus groups and deep interviews with relevant local actors. The findings show that there are some solutions to mitigate the weakness of the Italian certification scheme. The study also contributes to improving the Italian organic rice sector by highlighting that a revision of procedures and sanctions alone is not enough, and that an ethical and cultural change is also needed along the whole value chain.
Italy is the leading European producer of rice. The transition to organic farming could represent a solution for environmental protection, as well as for the economic sustainability of farms, consumer safety and as a measure of climate mitigation, but it currently displays several weaknesses in the control and certification system. The objective of the current study is to propose advice for improving the control and certification scheme in the organic rice sector. To achieve this aim, we adopted a qualitative methodology based on participant observation at stakeholders’ meetings, focus groups, community-led workshops and deep interviews with relevant local actors. Findings show that there are some solutions to mitigate the weakness of the Italian certification scheme. The study also produces managerial implications to improve the Italian organic rice system.
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