“I would like to thank the Organizations that believed in me and supported my candidacy by renewing my nomination as President of the Dried Forage Group in Copa-Cogeca, demonstrating their esteem and trust in me". This is what Riccardo Severi declared, following his confirmation in the role, formalized during the annual assembly of Copa-Cogeca, which took place on June 12 in Brussels (read the EFA News article).

"Ours is a very cohesive working group and above all committed to promoting a sector that has numerous challenges and just as many opportunities ahead of it. During the meeting, the topics on the agenda primarily concerned the analysis of production data for 2024 and estimates for the current year in the five European countries - Italy, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Bulgaria - which are part of the Inter-union Commission of European Dehydrators (Cide). Last year, overall production of dehydrated fodder reached 3,145,878 tonnes with Spain leading the group at 1,133 thousand tonnes followed by Italy (970,000 tonnes), France (770,000 tonnes), Germany (185,878 tonnes), the Netherlands (68,000 tonnes) and Bulgaria (19,000 tonnes): compared to production in 2023, there was an increase of approximately 72 thousand tonnes".

"As for 2025 production", continued Severi , "the estimates that at the beginning of the year spoke of substantial stability compared to 2024 have been denied by the yields that especially in Spain and France, with the first cut, have instead shown a significant decline due in large part to the effects of climate change that alternates periods of particular drought with others with heavy rains. Fortunately, Italy, despite the presence of a very variable season, has not recorded a similar trend. It should be emphasized that increasingly innovative processing plants are able to compensate for the loss caused by the drop in production with appropriate processing in terms of quality. However, other, no less important variables must be considered, such as geopolitical turbulence at an international level that risks triggering sudden increases in production costs. Still with reference to the consequences of climate change, during the Copa-Cogeca Assembly we agreed that it is necessary to encourage scientific research related to the genetic improvement of the seed precisely to counteract the negative effects that weather conditions can cause to the plant".

In the discussion of a very detailed dossier, the assembly of the Dried Forage Group led by Riccardo Severi reserved a large space for the presentation of the study commissioned by Aife/Filiera Italiana Foraggi, which by analyzing all the production phases of dehydrated alfalfa, therefore from the field to the stable, has allowed obtaining the Sustainability Certification. The study represents the entire membership base of Aife/Filiera Italiana Foraggi distributed across 8 regions.

"The work we commissioned and conducted by Turtle srl, a spin-off of the University of Bologna led by Professor Augusto Bianchini ", says Severi, "was presented both to the Forage Group in Copa Cogeca and at the annual meeting organized in Brussels with DG Agri. It is currently a unique study at an international level that details in great detail and with scientific rigor the evaluation of the environmental footprint of alfalfa throughout the entire production cycle. The research has aroused great interest and attention from all participants in the two meetings in Copa Cogeca and DG Agri and several representatives of the sector, representing their respective countries, have expressed their intention to follow the path traced by Aife/Filiera Italiana Foraggi with a view to greater valorization and promotion of forage, and alfalfa in particular, dried and dehydrated. Communication in this regard will be fundamental", he concludes, "because only through correct and timely information will the supply chain be able to achieve the objectives it has set itself not only from a technical point of view commercially, but above all of environmental, social and economic sustainability. As Aife/Filiera Italiana Foraggi we are very proud of this study which is not a point of arrival, but rather the starting line for the correct evaluation of the carbon footprint of raw materials intended for agri-food”.