“Maxi ground-mounted photovoltaic systems cannibalize Reggio Emilia’s agriculture: the mayoral candidates are out for a firm no”. Words from Lorenzo Catellani, president of Cia-Agricoltori Italiani Reggio Emilia, who openly takes sides against the proliferation of projects throughout the entire Reggio Emilia area, from the Bassa to the Apennines.
“We are in favor of photovoltaics and all forms of investment in renewable energy – he continues -. But this cannot and must not happen in the areas where food is produced, where the excellence that the whole world admires and envies us is born.” He recalls that, as regards renewable energy sources, our agricultural businesses “are in the front row. Just think of photovoltaic panels on roofs and biogas: they have become an important economic item in company balance sheets and are a way to be even more environmentally sustainable. More and more companies have become energetically self-sufficient and even feed the extra energy they produce into the electricity grid (without considering the important contribution that agriculture makes in terms of CO2 storage)”.
Catellani is therefore in favor of systems “on the roofs of agricultural buildings: stables, barns, sheds, shelters for tools. Yes to photovoltaics even in abandoned, industrial areas, not even potentially suitable for agricultural purposes. But we are firmly against the consumption of agricultural land: there is a real danger that plants will be built on many cultivated areas, just when the international situation should lead us to the internal production of food goods. Plants should not be built on fertile, high-quality land, rich in biodiversity, perfectly suitable for producing excellent food. Unfortunately, in recent months many projects have been born across the entire territory. Various companies in the sector have made economically significant offers to agricultural entrepreneurs to occupy the land suitable for agriculture for at least 30 years. And this, in rural areas, as well as taking away land from agriculture, will cause damage to the entire economic and social fabric of the municipalities involved”.
In conclusion, the president of Cia Reggio applauds the position of the regional councilor Mammi and the recent regional resolution which “sets important limits. Everyone must do their part, from the parliamentarians of Reggio Emilia to the first citizens of the municipalities where they vote. And this is why, in view of the local elections, I am launching an appeal to the mayoral candidates to announce their opposition to the plants and once elected to do everything in their power to prevent a havoc that will fall on our present and future generations ”.
