Road haulage blockade: Ancd-Conad calls for a return to lawfulness to safeguard food supplies

In view of the continuing road blockades and pickets that are paralysing freight transport in various areas of the country, particularly severely in the southern regions, Ancd-Conad is issuing an urgent appeal for compliance with the rules and for operators to act responsibly.

While understanding the difficulties and concerns of the road haulage sector, which, like the entire supply chain, has been hit by increases in operating and energy costs, Ancd-Conad stresses that forms of protest resulting in the interruption of major roads and the forced blocking of transport are no longer sustainable.

The situation is in fact having significant consequences, both in terms of economic losses and food waste, with tonnes of fresh and perishable products (fruit and vegetables, milk and meat), resulting from the work of farmers and the Italian agri-food supply chain, being held up on vehicles and in warehouses, and in terms of the risk of supply shortages for citizens, with some communities and neighbourhoods already experiencing the first interruptions to supplies of essential foodstuffs, directly affecting the right of millions of people and the most vulnerable sections of the population to do their daily shopping.

“Ensuring food security and access to essential goods is an essential public service for the cohesion of the country,” declares Maurizio Pelliconi, president of Ancd-Conad. “The freedom to demonstrate cannot result in citizens’ right to receive fresh food being infringed, nor in the value of the work of the Italian agri-food supply chains being destroyed. We call on the competent authorities to intervene to restore free movement and lawfulness, allowing distribution flows to resume normally, and we urge all parties to put responsibility and constructive dialogue first, while continuing to present their concerns at the discussion forums opened with the Government.”

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.