OI Pomodoro da Industria Nord Italia is at the forefront of promoting sustainable supply chains and advocating for trade policies that prohibit the import of goods produced using forced labor within the EU market.
For years, OI Pomodoro da Industria Nord Italia has been dedicated to making the Italian processing tomato supply chain more sustainable. Our commitment is reflected in the adoption of environmentally friendly farming techniques, efficient water management, reduced carbon emissions, and enhanced social responsibility. Mechanized harvesting and collaborative frameworks between agriculture and industry ensure fair value distribution throughout our supply chain. Notably, we embarked on this sustainability journey well before the European Union introduced crucial regulations like the CS3D directive and the anti-slavery regulation, which aim to uphold ethical production standards.
Strengthening Ethical and Sustainable Trade in the EU
On July 5, 2024, the EU published the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (EU 2024/1760), requiring large companies to assess and mitigate human rights and environmental risks across their value chains, extending these obligations to subsidiaries and business partners. This directive aligns with international transparency and due diligence efforts, as seen in France and Germany, fostering responsible business conduct across industries. Complementing this initiative, on November 19, 2024, the EU Council adopted the ‘Products Made with Forced Labour’ regulation, banning the sale, distribution, and export of goods produced through forced labor within the EU market. To ensure enforcement, the European Commission will establish a database identifying high-risk regions and products, facilitating investigations by EU or national authorities, with any resulting bans or withdrawals applicable across all EU member states.
Our Commitment to Sustainability and Ethical Trade
We remain steadfast in our mission to promote sustainability and raise consumer awareness of ethical practices in the Italian and European tomato processing industries. To further this agenda, we actively supported the CS3D directive by co-signing a position paper urging the Italian government to endorse the directive’s adoption. Additionally, we have prioritized the swift national implementation of both the CS3D directive and the anti-slavery regulation within the framework of Italy’s national tomato supply chain discussions.
On February 26, 2025, the European Commission approved the Omnibus Package, a set of proposals aimed at simplifying EU sustainability reporting requirements. This package seeks to enhance competitiveness while facilitating new investments. The legislative proposal will now be reviewed by the European Parliament and Council. We emphasize that these administrative simplifications must not compromise the integrity of environmental and social sustainability commitments across supply chains.
Promoting Fair Trade Through Reciprocity
The EU imposes stringent sustainability requirements on its producers, necessitating substantial commitments, including financial investments, from all stakeholders in the supply chain. To ensure fair competition, we advocate for equivalent sustainability standards for non-EU producers exporting goods to Europe.
Italian and European canning companies, alongside farmers’ organizations, ensure that consumers receive high-quality, environmentally and socially sustainable tomato-based products. However, a rise in imports from non-EU countries has introduced unfair competition. These foreign producers often bypass the rigorous sustainability standards imposed on European farmers, allowing them to offer lower-priced products. This imbalance undermines industry profitability and places less sustainable goods on the market. To address these concerns, the Italian tomato processing sector has proposed national and international policy measures to safeguard the supply chain and uphold the integrity of European products. We call for clear import regulations, greater transparency, and reciprocal sustainability requirements for all products entering the EU market.
This is why we launched the Tomato SAUCE Project—to provide every stakeholder with transparent information about the sustainability of the Northern Italian tomato processing supply chain and to promote fairer ethical trade in the industry.
