Italy’s Chamber backs €1.14bn Coltiva Italia plan for olive oil, grain and beef
Italy’s Chamber of Deputies approved the €1.14 billion Coltiva Italia bill without opposing votes. The measure directs €970 million to food-sovereignty programs supporting livestock, olive oil, cereals and plant proteins, but still requires final Senate approval.
Chamber approves bill without opposing votes
Italy’s Chamber of Deputies has approved the Coltiva Italia bill, a €1.14 billion agricultural investment package intended to expand domestic output and reduce dependence on foreign supplies in several strategic food chains. Il Sole 24 Ore reported that the measure passed without opposing votes after previously receiving Senate approval. Because the Chamber made changes, it must return to the Senate for a final vote.
The Agriculture Ministry expects the bill to go back to the Senate between September and October and says its approval there is effectively secured. Implementing decrees would then be prepared with the aim of making the funds available for expenditure during the first months of 2027. The timing means producers will not gain immediate access to the support, while the details of eligibility and disbursement will depend on the secondary legislation.
€970 million targets production chains
The core of the bill is a €970 million Strategy for Food Sovereignty. Around €300 million each will be assigned to the Allevamento Italia livestock plan, the national olive-growing plan and other strategic supply chains. A further €70 million will replenish the Food Sovereignty Fund, focusing on sectors identified as being under pressure: soft wheat, barley, maize, plant protein and the cow-calf beef system.
The policy is designed to reinforce cereal and plant-protein production alongside beef and olive oil, sectors in which Italy remains partly reliant on foreign supply. Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida said Italy ranks first in Europe for agricultural value added and exports €74.5 billion of agri-food products. He placed Coltiva Italia within a broader public investment program approaching €17 billion and said the new funding would concentrate on areas where agriculture needs greater productive capacity.
Contracts, land and agricultural technology
The bill allocates €10 million to wheat supply-chain contracts intended to stabilize prices and markets. These agreements will run for three to five years and set a price for the full contractual period, seeking to limit exposure to market swings and provide farmers with more predictable income. Separately, the Terre ai giovani program managed by Ismea will make around 8,417 hectares available free of charge for 10 years to farmers aged 18 to 41. Participants will be able to buy the land afterward for 50% of its initial value. The wider package also supports access to credit for young and female agricultural entrepreneurs.
Research and innovation receive €14.5 million, including funding for the Crea agricultural research council to recruit 50 researchers. Resources will also support experimental farms operated by Crea and agricultural institutes, with investment in precision machinery, artificial intelligence, sensors and mechatronics. Other measures include €9.2 million for wine and olive-oil tourism and €3 million for a national commissioner responsible for Xylella until December 31, 2028. Together, the provisions combine production incentives with longer-term spending on land access, research and farm technology, although their practical market effect will depend on final approval and implementation.
