“We continue to concretely support the Italian tobacco supply chain, convinced that an integrated supply chain logic is the only way forward, as we have been doing for over ten years”. Marco Hannappel, CEO and president of Philip Morris Italy comments on the agreement signed yesterday with Coldiretti which brings with it investments for one hundred million in exchange for the supply of twenty million tons of tobacco.
The agreement promotes the spread of digital and precision agriculture systems for energy saving and water reduction of up to 50%; a factor of particular importance, given the drought that causes cultivation costs to explode, in the wake of increases in energy and raw materials. For Ettore Prandini, president of Coldiretti, “these are interventions capable of coping with increases in unsustainable costs for businesses that risk compromising crops with an impact on the economy, the environment and work”.
The agreement involves about 1000 companies mostly in Campania, Umbria, Veneto and Tuscany, guaranteeing medium-long term planning. The multinational’s investments will have a direct, indirect and induced employment impact of up to 28,700 people (of which 9,200 in Veneto, 9,500 in Umbria and 10 thousand in Campania); as for the estimated economic impact in the three regions, it will be 75 million, 77 million and 82 million respectively.