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[edit]
Some of the largest companies in the Italian dairy sector are Parmalat, Auricchio, Cielo (company), Gelati Cecchi, and Sterilgarda.
Workforce[edit]
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[edit]
- ^ Mitzman, Dany (25 June 2015). "The Sikhs who saved Parmesan". BBC News. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
- ^ Migration from Punjab to Italy in the Dairy Sector: The Quiet Indian Revolution
- ^ "The Sikh migrants keeping Italy's mozzarella industry alive". Newsweek. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
- ^ Migration from Punjab to Italy in the Dairy Sector: The Quiet Indian Revolution
- ^ "Now, Indian agricultural workers flock to Italy". The Economic Times. 4 July 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
- ^ The Indian Community:Annual Report on the Presence of Migrants in Italy - Executive Summary Archived 2018-02-02 at the Wayback Machine published by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies (Italy)
- ^ Mitzman, Dany (25 June 2015). "The Sikhs who saved Parmesan". BBC News. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
- ^ Duttagupta, Ishani (2012). "Dairy workers from Punjab keep Italy's Parmesan industry going". The Economic Times. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
- ^ "Italian farmers' union flexes its political muscle". POLITICO. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
- ^ Povoledo, Elisabetta (7 September 2011). "In Italian Heartland, Indians Keep the Cheese Coming". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
- ^ Migration from Punjab to Italy in the Dairy Sector: The Quiet Indian Revolution