Dairy farming in Italy

Dairy farming in Italy is an important industry, both for domestic consumption and for exports. Two of the most well-known ranges of dairy products are gelato (ice cream) and a wide variety of cheeses, of which many have Protected Designation of Origin under EU law.

Major companies

Some of the largest companies in the Italian dairy sector are Parmalat, Auricchio, Cielo (company), Gelati Cecchi, and Sterilgarda.

Workforce

The production of quintessentially Italian cheeses such as Parmigiano-Reggiano,[1] Grana Padano,[2] and mozzarella,[3] depends significantly on immigrant labour. Starting in the 1990s, Indians have come to dominate the labourforce of the Italian dairy industry in a surprising niche market.[4]

Statistics show that most Indians in Italy tend to settle in the north of the country and work in agriculture.[5][6] The Po Valley is similar in climate to the Punjab, where most of these Sikh workers are from.[7] Their first jobs tend to be directly with the cows and buffalos, as many come from farming families, but some move on to become cheesemakers, which is better paying.[8]

it:Coldiretti, which Politico Europe describes as Italy's most important farming union,[9] and civic authorities in the region acknowledge that the immigrants are indispensable for agriculture in general and the dairy industry in particular.[10] The dairy workers themselves (bergamini) tend to belong to the Italian General Confederation of Labour.[11]

References
  1. Mitzman, Dany (25 June 2015). "The Sikhs who saved Parmesan". BBC News. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  2. Migration from Punjab to Italy in the Dairy Sector: The Quiet Indian Revolution
  3. "The Sikh migrants keeping Italy's mozzarella industry alive". Newsweek. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  4. Migration from Punjab to Italy in the Dairy Sector: The Quiet Indian Revolution
  5. "Now, Indian agricultural workers flock to Italy". The Economic Times. 4 July 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  6. The Indian Community:Annual Report on the Presence of Migrants in Italy - Executive Summary published by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies (Italy)
  7. Mitzman, Dany (25 June 2015). "The Sikhs who saved Parmesan". BBC News. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  8. Duttagupta, Ishani (2012). "Dairy workers from Punjab keep Italy's Parmesan industry going". The Economic Times. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  9. "Italian farmers' union flexes its political muscle". POLITICO. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  10. Povoledo, Elisabetta (7 September 2011). "In Italian Heartland, Indians Keep the Cheese Coming". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  11. Migration from Punjab to Italy in the Dairy Sector: The Quiet Indian Revolution
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