Assitol calls for measures to support businesses and a food security strategy

Assitol, the Italian Association of the Oil Industry, a member of Federalimentare and Confindustria, is calling on the institutions to take immediate measures to support businesses and adopt a structural strategy on food security.

The main critical issues

Rising inflation, soaring energy costs and cascading price increases for agricultural raw materials and packaging, in fact, are the uncertainties weighing on the current economic outlook.

“We are among the few sectors which, also thanks to exports, have shown that they can withstand the post-pandemic difficulties,” observes Assitol’s general manager Andrea Carrassi. “However, because of the increasingly tense international climate, the situation is progressively worsening and costs are becoming increasingly difficult to bear.”

Inflation and geopolitical tensions

To make the situation worse, the latest quarter of 2026, according to forecasts by the Confindustria Study Centre, will be marked by a further slowdown in industrial activity. This is all due to gas and oil prices at their highest levels compared with the end of 2022, the year in which the Russian-Ukrainian conflict broke out, which affect the shopping basket. Moreover, according to preliminary estimates by Istat, inflation has just reached the highest level of the current year (+4,2%).

“The last six months have put the resilience of member companies to the test,” warns Carrassi, “which, as already demonstrated by Covid and the recent years of geopolitical tensions, has proved considerable. We see no let-up on the horizon. The situation in the Strait of Hormuz is at a standstill, while neither the Middle East nor Ukraine seem to be finding a solution.”

Taken together, these negative indicators are slowing businesses down, forcing them to manage the increase in energy costs, the rise in the costs of agricultural raw materials and, last in chronological order but no less alarming, the rise in packaging costs at the same time.

“More expensive energy,” Carrassi reminds us, “also means higher glass and plastic costs.” The increase in oil prices, in fact, affects the price of packaging and plastic materials needed for the packaging and preservation of food. Moreover, the entry into force of the EU Deforestation Regulation (Eudr), expected by the end of the year, risks making the supply of soya even more critical, as it is one of the most important raw materials in the agri-food sector, both for use in animal feed and for the energy use of oil.

Food security

“We appreciate the efforts made by the Government to support industry,” says the general manager of Assitol – but the current situation requires targeted measures, such as a tax credit for energy costs incurred by companies”. However, the issue that must be addressed structurally is food security. “Security of supply is proving to be a central issue for the entire agri-food sector,” recalls the director of Assitol – which, by now cyclically, affects companies’ turnover.”

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.