Hearings in the Senate: Enecta and Confagricoltura for the Protection of the Agricultural Hemp Sector

The Enecta products:

they are not medicines;
they are obtained from hemp varieties registered in the Common European Register and in compliance with the other requirements provided by law 242/2016;
they have been duly notified in the European Cosmetic Products Notification Portal (CPNP).

Our blog articles are for informational purposes only and are not intended to qualify our products as medicines or to attribute therapeutic properties to them.

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Tuesday, October 22, 2024, our CEO Jacopo Paolini, as a representative of the hemp supply chain for Confagricoltura, participated in the hearings in the Senate. This meeting was a crucial moment to discuss the DDL Security and its impact on the hemp sector in Italy. Jacopo was called to express his opinion on Article 18 of the bill, bringing the voice of the agricultural sector and the numerous companies operating in this field. Here you can find the video of the intervention.

The battle against the Security Bill

The hearings involved experts from various fields to assess the impact of the changes proposed by the Government. During his speech, Jacopo emphasized how the attempt to ban the hemp cultivation with inflorescences represent an approach reckless, short-sighted, and suicidal for Italian agriculture.

A reckless approach

Jacopo pointed out that the bill does not distinguish between the different types of inflorescences, many of which are not intended for recreational purposes. Inflorescences with low CBD content or free of cannabinoids are crucial for many sectors. Jacopo explained that:

The seed for food use ripens inside the inflorescences.
The round bales for textile fiber contain inflorescences as well.
The material used for theextraction of active ingredients in cosmetics it is partly composed of the inflorescences.

Without proper distinction, the amendment risks irreparably damaging these sectors, forcing many companies to close.

A myopic act

The sector of the hemp cultivation has recorded exponential growth over the past five years, with an increase of over the 200% in terms of staff and revenue. This development has attracted numerous young in the agricultural sector, a rare phenomenon in Italy. Jacopo emphasized the importance of recognizing this growth and criticized the Government for not considering the positive impact that hemp has had on the national agricultural economy.

Jacopo Paolini - foto di Maria Novella De Lca

A suicide for Italian agriculture

The hemp is a crop resilient, ideal for sustainable agriculture and suitable for difficult climatic conditions, such as those increasingly affecting Italy. While Italian agriculture is facing enormous challenges, including the foreign competition e il climate change, hemp represents one of the few viable solutions to revive agriculture.

Jacopo also mentioned the recent investment of the Swedish government, which has allocated 10 million euros to the development of the hemp textile supply chain. At a time when Italy could be a leader in the European hemp market, the DDL Security risks bringing to its knees a sector in full expansion.

The intervention of Jacopo Paolini, on behalf of Enecta and of Confagricoltura, highlighted the need for regulation based on scientific data and defended the right to cultivate hemp, a resource that can bring enormous benefits to the Italian agricultural economy. The DDL Security represents a threat to this vital sector, and we at Enecta we will continue to strive to defend the future of hemp in Italy.

Stay updated with our column "Hemp Italy" for further developments and insights on the topic.