The work of CremonaFiere, which at this very time is completing its calendar of conferences at the Zootecniche Cremona Internal Exhibition, is on-going, with the 2024 edition – its 79th – scheduled for 28 – 30 November 2024 (www.fierezootecnichecr.it).
One of the key issues is the need for consumer communications, to be discussed at the “Milk.it” and “Meat.it” conferences – events by now well-established as part of the calendar.
“Communication,” says Sebastiano Porretta, professor at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and President of AITA (the Italian Association of Food Technology), as well as curator of the two conferences, “is an increasing focus for the livestock industry and the agri-food industry as a whole. For instance, we are well aware that the issue of animal welfare has become a key concern for consumers worldwide. Consumers are increasingly making food choices driven by ethical concerns, especially as regards awareness of and respect for animal welfare. However, despite these good intentions, there are many bad interpretations of the issue that influence the consumer’s perception of animal welfare, just as the labelling of food products may often be ambiguous and even deceptive. Indeed, terms like ‘natural’ (not a regulatory term in nearly all countries due to its vagueness), ‘free range’, ‘open range’ and ‘cage-free’ can easily lead to confusion among consumers.”
And what is more, even certifications can result in confusion.
“There are numerous animal welfare standards,” Porretta adds, “each with its own criteria and level of rigorousness. Some certification marks are very strict and guarantee high levels of welfare, while others are more flexible. Unsurprisingly, consumers are not well-informed about these differences, and the result is that they may make purchasing decisions which do not really reflect a higher level of animal welfare.”
Marketing and disinformation are further critical factors (for instance, the perception that animals raised in small local farms have a better quality of life than animals raised on large farms is not always realistic); and one also has to take into account the inevitable conflict between the desire to promote animal welfare and the cost of the product, given that products which guarantee high levels of animal welfare are necessarily more expensive.
“In order to improve consumer awareness of animal welfare,” Porretta concludes, “we have to increase transparency and education. Clear, accurate information about the conditions in which animals are raised and the significance of the various certifications can help consumers make better informed, more ethical choices. At the same time, companies should be held to account for their use of deceptive marketing techniques and be required to adopt stricter standards of welfare.” Quality certification is another issue to be discussed at the Zootecniche Cremona International Exhibition, during the annual Qualyservices conference.
All these crucial issues will be discussed in depth in Cremona.
“Professional events like our Zootecniche Cremona International Exhibition,” says Roberto Biloni, President of CremonaFiere, “make an essential contribution to the value chain they represent. We all (the exhibition, the territory, authorities, universities, research centres, trade associations, companies and stock farmers) are well aware that our team work adds value to the sector in terms of productivity and our capacity to communicate our values – first and foremost sustainability and quality.”
