https://www.agrospectrumasia.com/rssfeed/country/italy italy https://www.agrospectrumasia.com/news/123/3509/from-additives-to-spices-cac48-redraws-rules-of-global-food-trade.html https://www.agrospectrumasia.com/news/123/3509/from-additives-to-spices-cac48-redraws-rules-of-global-food-trade.html Thu, 08 Jan 2026 11:50:16 +0530 Codex and FAO officials detail how updated standards aim to protect consumers without triggering disproportionate trade disruption for export-dependent economies In an exclusive Agrospectrum and NUFFOODS Spectrum interview with global food-standards leaders — Sarah Cahill, Codex Secretary; Lingping Zhang, Food Standards Officer, Codex Secretariat; Markus Lipp, Senior Food Safety Officer, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); Gracia Brisco, Food Standards Officer, Codex Secretariat; and Hilde Kruse, Senior Food Standards Officer, Codex Secretariat — CAC48 emerges as a decisive moment for Codex amid rising geopolitical fragmentation. The experts reaffirm Codex’s science-based, consensus-driven mandate, which shaped major reforms including additive reviews, aflatoxin updates, pesticide-residue reference guidelines and new maximum lead levels for spices. They underline how improved Codes of Practice, surveillance support and harmonised quality parameters enable consumer protection while minimising trade disruption for export-reliant economies. Looking ahead, they highlight the Codex Strategic Plan 2026–2031, which places digital traceability, climate-risk foresight, and advanced analytical technologies at the core of modernising global food safety governance. Edited excerpts; Codex at a Geopolitical Crossroads The 48th Session saw critical standards adopted across additives, contaminants, and fresh-produce quality. At a time when food systems face geopolitical fragmentation, supply-chain shocks, and rising protectionism, how does Codex ensure these standards remain science-led, globally harmonized, and insulated from political pressure? The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is a Member-driven body with its commitment to a science-based approach to standard setting enshrined in its procedures. Its work is guided by its strategic goals, and its core values of collaboration, inclusiveness, consensus building and transparency. Codex texts are the benchmark for food safety under the World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and are relevant to the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) where WTO members refer to harmonization with international standards such as the Codex Alimentarius for food-related issues such as labelling. Codex standards play an important role in addressing specific trade concerns or for dispute settlement cases. Wherever you are, whatever you do, safe food is an everyday need. And it is a global commodity. These aspects are integral to every discussion in the Codex Alimentarius Commission. “Together” was also the theme of CAC48, which served to highlight that when it comes to food safety and quality it is only by working together that we can effectively and efficiently ensure food is safe and of good quality.  The GSFA Overhaul: Science, Safety, and Consumer Trust More than 500 food additive provisions were reviewed, leading to revocations and new inclusions. What principles guided the reassessment—particularly for colourants like annatto extracts—and how does FAO ensure regulators and industry transition smoothly to these updated provisions without disrupting product availability or trade flows? All Codex work is conducted following approval by CAC. Thus, the decision for reassessment was taken by Members. In the case of annatto extracts, this decision was based on: The need to align the General standard for food additives with relevant sections of commodity standards. In this case, for example, there was a need to align with the Standard for fermented milks, which does not provide for the addition of annatto extracts in plain milk. Codex texts are developed through consensus by all its Members in a deliberate manner that often spans a timeframe of several years. The national Codex contact points serve as a primary node to disseminate all applicable information to national stakeholders. In addition, FAO provides support when requested by Member Countries to strengthen national Codex structures, thereby enhancing national capabilities in disseminating all relevant Codex texts to national stakeholders. Aflatoxins in Peanuts: New Science, New Responsibilities The revised Code of Practice on aflatoxins integrates updated agronomic science, maturity-stage tables, and roasting effects. How will FAO help producing countries—especially smallholder-dependent economies—translate these best practices into field-level change? Are new surveillance, extension, or capacity-building mechanisms planned? FAO stays ready to support its members needs and will respond to requests by its members for additional capacity building measures correspondingly. FAO and Codex furthermore have published numerous guidance documents, codes of practice and related texts that is publicly available, ready to be used by any other organization that would like to use this information in order to support producers of peanuts. Lead Limits in Spices: Balancing Public Health and Trade facilitation With new maximum levels now set for dried bark (cinnamon) and culinary herbs, exporting nations such as —India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia—face compliance pressure. How does Codex balance the dual mandate of protecting consumers health while ensuring fair practices in trade, in this case, preventing trade disruptions for economies reliant on spice exports? The mandate to protect consumer health and ensure fair practices in the food trade is the statutory purpose of CAC. This means that, when it comes to food safety standards such as maximum levels for contaminants in foods, CAC will not establish more stringent measures than necessary to protect consumers health so that the measures themselves do not become a technical barrier to trade which may then translate in trade disruption that may impact economic growth and ultimately food security.   Although spices and culinary herbs are consumed in small amounts, as opposed to other foods, it remains important to assess the safety of lead levels in these foods due to the impact of lead toxicity on human health that may include neurodevelopmental effects such as decreases in Intelligence Quota (IQ) and attention span in children, impaired renal function, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, impaired fertility, and adverse pregnancy outcomes and therefore the ALARA continued to apply when CCCF discusses risk management considerations related to health and trade so that while ensuring the safety of the food, this does not imply high rejections rate of lot consignments, at import control point. CCCF does provide support to Codex Members to enable them to comply with MLs, by developing codes of practice, a compendium of risk management measures and practices to assist in reducing food contamination, in this case CAC40 adopted in 2017 the Code of practice for the prevention and reduction of mycotoxins in spices (CXC 78-2017). FAO does have a role to play in assisting countries with the implementation of the CoP, helping them to identify specific risk management measures that may not be included in the CoP, as they are usually overarching texts, that can complement the measures applicable worldwide that are described in these CoPs. The Codex Alimentarius Commission has now adopted MLs for lead in spices and culinary herbs, specifically, dried bark (cinnamon) and dried culinary herbs. The MLs are 2.5 mg/kg for lead in spices, dried bark and 2.0 mg/kg for lead in culinary herbs, dried and will now be added to the General Standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed (CXS 193-1995).  Pesticide Reference Materials: A Quiet but Critical Reform The guidelines allowing extended use of pesticide reference materials beyond labelled expiry dates could significantly reduce laboratory costs and waste. What drove this reform? And how does FAO envision it strengthening residue monitoring systems in low- and middle-income countries where testing infrastructure remains limited? Pesticide residues in food are a subject of particular concern for consumers and in the food trade. To ensure the safety of food, the regulation of pesticide use, and relevant residues, must be enforced and guaranteed. Part of the process of testing for pesticide residues relies on laboratories being able to access what are known as reference materials, or RMs. But these are costly and sold with 2-to-5-year short-term expiry dates, though there is no requirement to find maximum shelf life. This can force laboratories to buy new RMs more frequently than potentially necessary. This leads to additional work and additional costs, and that can hinder how much testing can be done.  The Codex Alimentarius Commission has now adopted guidelines that provide a scientifically sound framework to monitor the purity and stability of reference materials under defined conditions, which, if implemented correctly, may allow continued use of RMs beyond their expiry date - where purity remains within acceptable limits. This reduces recurring costs, minimizes waste, and ensures confidence in the reliability of pesticide residue analysis.  The work on the development of guidelines for monitoring the purity and stability of reference materials of pesticides during prolonged storage commenced at CCPR51 in 2019, when some delegations expressed concerns regarding the limitation of the use of reference materials beyond the expiry date, leading to significant recurring costs for laboratories. As chair of the electronic working group (EWG), India led the work to develop these guidelines. FAO stays ready to support its members needs and will respond to requests by its members for additional capacity building measures correspondingly.  Read more about this work in the 2025 edition of the CODEX magazine   Standard for Fresh Dates: Trade Enablement for Climate-Stressed Regions The new standard comes after a decade of negotiations and is deeply important for date-producing regions across the Middle East and North Africa. How will harmonized quality parameters—size, colour, uniformity, defects—reshape global trade? Can such standards help climate-stressed producers secure better prices in high-value retail markets ? By adopting the new Standard for fresh dates, Codex Members now have an international reference that provides the baseline for international trade of this commodity upon which trading partners can agree on additional quality provisions based on their consumers’ preferences. For producing countries, this opens up trade possibilities across the globe, which, in many cases, will support the livelihoods of small producers, bolster economies and provide a safe, good quality product for consumers worldwide. Castilla Lulo (Naranjilla): Regional Standards as a Strategic Tool This new regional standard reflects the fruit’s cultural importance and emerging trade value in Latin America. What criteria does Codex use to decide when a product merits a regional rather than global standard? And do regional standards serve as testbeds for potential future global adoption? When considering new work proposed by FAO/WHO regional coordinating committees, CAC considers, amongst other things, whether the new work is justified on the grounds that the product in question is significantly traded intraregionally and that there is no significant trade between or within other regions When a commodity for which there is a regional standard, sees increased trade at a global level, the coordinating committee concerned, or a Member, can propose extension of the territorial application of the standard. This involves new work, which has to be approved by CAC. CAC48 approved, for example, new work on converting the Regional standard for laver products (Asia) to a worldwide standard, work that will be carried out by the Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products (CCFFP). The Next Frontier: Modernizing Codex for a New Era of Food Risks From AI-driven food systems to precision fermentation, novel ingredients, and climate-linked contaminants, food safety risks are evolving faster than many national regulatory systems. What are FAO’s top priorities for modernizing Codex over the next decade? How will future standards incorporate digital traceability, climate risk modelling, and new analytical technologies? FAO is a parent organization of Codex, together with the World Health Organization (WHO). However, work prioritization in Codex is the remit of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. CAC47 adopted the Codex strategic plan 2026–2031 and CAC48 its monitoring framework. The purpose of the Codex strategic plan and its renewal and renegotiation every five years is to ensure that Codex work is aimed at achieving the most appropriate objectives. FAO has a very long-standing tradition to inform the Codex Alimentarius Commission and its subsidiary bodies with all relevant information to facilitate forward looking workplanning. FAO continues to offer its support to all its members and the members of the Codex Alimentarius Commission to assist in national capacity building activities to strengthen food control systems, food safety governance and all related aspects. The new strategic plan has as its first Strategic Goal to: Respond to Members’ needs for protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in the food trade in an evolving global landscape, by developing science-based standards and related texts 1.1 Foresight and horizon-scanning activities are used to support the identification of issues likely to impact food safety, quality and trade. 1.2 Scientific advice that addresses the needs identified by CAC and its subsidiary bodies is primarily provided by FAO and WHO and their joint scientific advisory bodies, informed by globally representative data and appropriate international expertise and methodology. 1.3 Scientific advice is used by CAC and subsidiary bodies in line with Codex risk analysis principles. 1.4 Codex standards and related texts are developed, reviewed and adopted in a timely, transparent and inclusive manner. Thus, with reference to FAO’s foresight programme ( https://www.fao.org/food-safety/scientific-advice/foresight/en/ ), Codex will aim to keep ahead of emerging trends Codex work is already addressing some of the key emerging issues and adapting based on Members’ priorities: Digital traceability is already a key topic of discussion in the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS), and work is ongoing to develop texts for the digitalization of national food control systems. CAC47 adopted the Codex Committee on Food Labelling’s (CCFL’s) Guidelines on the provision of food information for pre-packaged foods to be offered via e-commerce New food sources and production systems have been discussed extensively in Codex in recent years. In this context several areas of new work are under discussion which will help define how codex addresses this emerging area moving forward. Changing climate is also impacting food safety and this is also impacting the standard setting work of Codex. For example, the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF) elaborated and CAC47 adopted the Code of practice for the prevention or reduction of ciguatera poisoning, in response to the evolving nature of this issue, which is related to climate factors. The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene developed and CAC46 adopted Guidelines for the safe use and reuse of water in food production and processing in response to Members concerns about the need to ensure that in the context of water resource challenges, the safety of food was not negatively impacted. There is a continued emphasis, particularly within CCCF, on the issue of mycotoxins, the threat of which is evolving and possibly expanding as climate factors change. —---- Suchetana Choudhury (suchetana.choudhuri@agrospectrumindia.com) ]]> https://www.agrospectrumasia.com/news/123/3297/oseleta-reborn-dr-katarina-andersson-on-soul-story-and-future-of-italian-wine.html https://www.agrospectrumasia.com/news/123/3297/oseleta-reborn-dr-katarina-andersson-on-soul-story-and-future-of-italian-wine.html Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:20:21 +0530 In this exclusive conversation with Agrospectrum and NUFFOODS Spectrum, Dr. Katarina Andersson, Founder, WinesOfItaly, relives the transformative moment she first stood in an Oseleta vineyard near Lake Garda — a sunlit afternoon that changed how she saw Valpolicella forever. What began as curiosity about a forgotten grape turned into a revelation about Italy’s evolving wine identity — one rooted in authenticity, resilience, and a return to native traditions. With passion and precision, Dr. Andersson unpacks the renaissance of Oseleta, its role in redefining Valpolicella beyond Amarone, and the bold experiments of pioneers like Eleva Winery. From the new language of terroir storytelling to the reimagining of luxury as meaning and connection rather than price and prestige, she paints a vision of wine’s metamodern future — where rarity, culture, and conscience intertwine. By 2030, Dr. Andersson believes grapes like Oseleta could become the heartbeat of a new generation of wine lovers — making wine not just sophisticated again, but soulful and joyfully human. The Moment of Discovery Take us back to that autumn day near Lake Garda. What was it about standing in an Oseleta vineyard that made you feel “hooked on a feeling”? Was this the moment that reframed your view of Valpolicella beyond Amarone? It was on a beautiful and sunny autumn or winter afternoon back in 2017, that I visited the Bardolino Chiaretto area by Lake Garda as part of a press tour. We had a short walk through the small Oseleta vinyard plot at Villa Cordevigo before we entered the resort to taste through the Bardolino consortium's Chiaretto wines (Consorzio Vini Bardolino DOC). During that period, in 2017, when I visited the Oseleta vineyard, I had been hosting my weekly WinesOfItaly livestreams about smaller to mid-sized, more artisanal wine producers, lesser-known wine regions, and native grapes for a couple of years. I was always curious - I still am - to discover new things about grapes or wine areas. Back in 2017, there were not many writers and bloggers who travelled through Italy in search of a native grape or a lesser-known wine or wine area. Today, everybody is an influencer in search of 'unknown' grapes or wines. Anyway, I recall standing in the Oseleta vineyard with my fellow wine writers, taking photos and videos of the bare vines with their winter leaves, and I was eager to learn more about and taste a monovarietal Oseleta wine. I knew that there is usually a small percentage of Oseleta in the Valpolicella wines, but I had up until then never tasted a wine made with mainly Oseleta. I was hooked in that moment, standing in the winter beauty, with a hint of winter mystique in the late afternoon, thinking of this lesser-known grape so closely linked to Veneto wine history. Luckily, a fellow Canadian wine writer who loves tannic wines asked Franco Cristoforetti, the owner of Villa Cordevigo and the president of the Bardolino Consortium at that time, if it would be possible to taste their monovarietal Oseleta wine. It felt a bit luxurious, as it is a wine that has been aged for a long time, and they produce only a limited number of bottles. When I tasted it, I was even more hooked, because, yes, it is tannic, but it is a grape that gives wine with a great personality. Oseleta is very recognisable in a wine, with its trademark tannins, red and darker fruity notes, herbal, spicy, and floral (violet) characteristics, freshness, and length. A Grape’s Second Act Oseleta was nearly forgotten because of its small berries and low yields. Why do you think it is now re-emerging as a variety of interest? What does its revival say about where the Italian wine industry is heading? We are in a period when there is a big interest in native grapes, artisanal wineries, organic, biodynamic, natural viticulture and winemaking, sustainability, ethical winemaking, etc. I think it was in the late 1990s or the early 2000s, that revival of native grapes and starting to make more monovarietal wines started to get traction. We can take the examples of Nero di Troia in Puglia and Ciliegiolo in Umbria and Tuscany, which before were mainly used as a blending grapes. They are grapes with a strong character, just as Oseleta, that were used to give freshness. elegance, strength, structure, color, aromas, tannins, etc to wines such as Rosso di Canosa for Nero di Troia; Montecucco Doc in Tuscany or Orvietano Rosso Doc in Umbria for Ciliegiolo; and Valpolicella wines and Veronese IGT for Oseleta. I believe the rise of native grapes and monovarietal wines was partly a result of many smaller producers starting to bottle their own wines, mainly in the 1990s, after having mostly sold their wine in bulk or sold the grapes. This contributed to niche producers and niche productions, with a new generation seeking to produce more quality rather than quantity of wine. However, the market started to change, with a growing demand for authentic wines and a shift away from the usual brands, which were often made with international grapes such as Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. This desire to explore local viticultural history, rare or forgotten grapes, and monovarietal wines would take off even more about 10-15 years ago. The focus on organic and sustainable viticulture has become increasingly important. The natural wine movement had its upswing in that period, too. It has been beautiful because it has drawn attention to the rich viticultural heritage that exists not only in Italy, but also in many countries, such as Eastern Europe, Moldova, Armenia, and Georgia, among others. The future appears uncertain for the moment, given the global turmoil. The big brands have more economic power, and to some extent, things are becoming more streamlined and commercial. On the other hand, there are numerous smaller to mid-sized wine producers who are doing great things, leveraging their local territories. Still, it is not easy for them to stand out in the noise of the wine production and marketing industry. I believe that there is significant potential in changing markets beyond the US, in trying to shift the narrative to reflect today's consumer habits and spending better. The wine world is still entrenched in an old-school mentality regarding how to view wine, how to drink it, and what wine to buy, among other things. It will also be essential to align with healthy habits and moderate drinking practices that are currently being preached. Wine is an alcoholic beverage, though much less so than spirits, RDTs, etc. Wine has a long and important history; in Europe and primarily in the Mediterranean, it has been considered an aliment and an essential part of the diet historically. Viticulture and winemaking are integral to the cultural heritage of many countries. Markets such as India, the Middle East, South America, and Africa will be the future. The geopolitical world view is changing before our eyes right now, and the wine world needs to shift, too. Beyond Amarone: Rewriting the Valpolicella Story Valpolicella is globally synonymous with Amarone. How can Oseleta — and blends like Cercastelle IGT Veronese — help tell a more diverse story of the region? I believe in native grapes and lesser-known wine areas and wines. I think shinig a light on grape varieties such as Oseleta, Raboso (in the Piave area in Veneto), Tai Rosso, Verdiso and Perera (used in Prosecco), etc. can contribute to narrate the history of Veneto and its traditions. It might be a way to help shift the narrative to better suit younger generations. The viticultural history could also be linked to farming, ethics, sustainability, etc. The future is surely to lift up these more rare or forgotten grapes that were always used in blends but never got much attention. Many of them will continue to be a part of blends, but it can be important to highlight their existence and their role in a blend. Their historical value. There is also a recent trend of returning to wines made with field blends, i.e., grape varieties that would have been naturally grown together in a vineyard plot in the past. The two or three varieties grown together would be harvested together and vinified together. Examples include Sangiovese grown alongside Canaiolo and Colorino. Amarone is evolving to some extent, adapting to better align with the changing tastes of consumers and the market, becoming slimmer, fresher, and more elegant. The Amarone wines of producers such as Eleva Winery, Antolini, Valentina Cubi, Massimago, Tedeschi, etc. have or have evolved into a more contemporary style. There is also an initiative in Veneto, I believe, by the Valpolicella Consortium, to raise the value of Valpolicella DOC and Valpolicella Superiore DOC wines as those that express the "true" Valpolicella and Veneto territory and tradition. The grapes are generally Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella, as in Amarone; however, the wines are made without appassimento, thus giving slimmer, fresher, and more fruit-forward wines with excellent drinkability. The Amarone, considered more prestigious, had somewhat overshadowed this category of wines. When, in reality, they are pleasant wines with a clear expression of the Valpolicella and Veneto terroir. Eleva Winery & the Cercastelle Experiment You’ve spoken highly of Davide Gaeta and Raffaela Veroli’s work at Eleva Winery. What makes their approach to blending Merlot with Oseleta so compelling? How do you see their experiment shaping the conversation about innovation in Valpolicella? I like Professor Davide Gaeta and oenologist Raffaela Veroli at Eleva because they are passionate and have invested their souls into the Eleva project. In the spirit of the founder of the winery, Franca Maculan, they have continued to be very invested in non-profit organizations such as AICCA (for people with congenital heart disease) and Orizzonti Sportizi (supports sport projects for the health of children in Camerun, for example, building basket and volleyball pitches). They are organic, they have built their winery building into an already existing rock on the property, making it like a winery where you almost enter into a cave-like structure. The barrel room is located in the far end of the winery, inside the rock itself thus having natural temperature regulation. They have leveraged what they have on the property and the legacy of Franca Maculan, which I believe is the strong point to make their narrative stand out. Regarding winemaking, they both believe in collaborating with younger consultant oenologists to teach and learn, enhancing the overall winemaking process. They conducted their own research and experiments to find a suitable grape to blend with the small plot of Merlot grapes they have. They discovered that Oseleta was an excellent option. The Cercastelle IGT Veronese wine has become a wine that distinguishes itself from the Valpolicella wines they produce; it has also become a key wine in telling the story of the local territory from a different perspective. As mentioned above, they can leverage their story as it fits what consumers and younger generations are looking for today. Like many wineries, they have to have the courage to take that step to be less safe and traditional, and more daring, or "audacious" and "weird," as American futurist, marketing thought leader, university educator, and author Mark W. Schaefer has said. This will be needed to cut through the noise and rise above mainstream content and AI-generated content. Wine-Making and Vinification Oseleta has unique characteristics — small berries, thick skins, and pronounced tannins. How do winemakers approach fermentation, maceration, and aging to highlight its qualities without overpowering the wine? How do blending decisions with Merlot or other Valpolicella grapes enhance or temper its profile? Are there innovative techniques being explored — such as amphora aging, natural yeasts, or extended lees contact — that you find particularly exciting? If blending the grape with, for example, Merlot or making it as a monovarietal wine, I think it largely depends on the winery's and winemaker's choices. It can also depend on how many Oseleta plants they have access to, if there is enough for a monovarietal wine. I cannot say much about this, though; one would need to look into each winery. Oseleta is still made as a monovarietal wine by very few producers. There are approximately 15 hectares in total planted with Oseleta in Veneto, so it is unlikely to be a significant producer of Oseleta wines. It can be a good niche wine to leverage as a part of the Veneto viticultural heritage. I prefer 100 per cent Oseleta wines to get the whole character and personality of Oseleta. I would like to see more ageing in big casks, or experimenting with maturation in ceramic vessels or amphora. I think barrique is too invasive for Oseleta; I think its varietal essence would come out better with big casks or amphora. I am sure we will see producers trying ageing in such vessels in the future. For now, Eleva is ageing in tonneaux. Villa Cordevigo is producing a 100 per cent Oseleta wine that undergoes appassimento and is aged in tonneaux for an extended period, while Zyme makes its Oz 100 per cent Oseleta, which is also aged in barrique for approximately 6 years. Native Grapes as Cultural Capital You often argue that native grapes are a way of communicating terroir and culture. Why do you believe Oseleta, in particular, carries cultural and emotional weight for the Valpolicella region? As mentioned above, I believe in native grapes and lesser-known wine areas and wines. I think native grapes are cultural capital and an essential part of the viticultural heritage. Together with other lesser-known and rare grapes, in this case in Veneto, I believe Oseleta and other grapes can help to deepen the narrative and go beyond Amarone and Prosecco in Veneto. Some research says that younger generation are looking for the history, the story behind the wines, the culture, ethics, etc. and then grapes as Oseleta can contribute to the storytelling. Other research says that consumers wants a more simple approach, they want to buy a wine without being lectured about the technical factors, the tasting notes, the ratings, they just want a simple story or anecdote about the wine that appeals to them. Then Oseleta and similar grapes can still be the future because they can add a different and fascinating story, it can also be a way to make consumers curious about trying something new. The future is surely to lift up these more rare or forgotten grapes that were always used in blends but never got much attention. Many of them will continue to be a part of blends, but it can be important to highlight their existence and their role in a blend. Their historical value. Terroir Storytelling How do Italian producers leverage micro-terroirs — from Veneto to Sicily — to differentiate wines in an increasingly competitive global market? How important is terroir authenticity in consumer perception today? There are those saying that consumers want simplicity and to buy wine, not to get the heavy info, tasting notes, tech sheets, soil info, etc that is often given by wineries, sommeliers, wine educators, etc. Others say that the younger genertations are interested in the people and its stories at the wineries, the terroir, the sustainability, ethics, etc. I think it might be a way of how you tell these stories. There is a need for a different focus in wine storytelling, different perspectives, formats, media, etc can be used to make the storytelling more interesting. I think that wineries themselves in Italy, so far, are not leveraging their history, tradition, farming perspectives, terroir, etc., enough in their wine communication. Setting up a strategy requires some effort. Not many wineries, not even larger ones, are using newsletters to share their story engagingly and as a means to nurture their subscribers, keeping them interested and excited about the winery. Most wineries send out a newsletter when they have an offer and want their subscribers to make a purchase. So, yes, terroir authenticity is essential today. I think it is vital to find new, fun ways to communicate about terroir, differences in terroir, and how it makes a specific winery, wine region, or area stand out. There is great potential for improvement for wineries and consortia. The New Luxury Code You wrote that “luxury in the metamodern era is more about unique and rare experiences than expensive wines.” How do niche grapes like Oseleta play into this shift? Are we seeing a democratization of luxury in wine? I think wine is in general democratic, at least in the Mediterrean part of Europe where wine has been a part of the cultural heritage since way back in history. It was, and is to a certain extent, a part of the everyday culture. Of course, there is also expensive wines like the hyped up brands sich as Sassicaia or Masseto, or Barolo and Brunello wines. There will always be people who look at wines more like an investment, and who are not really interested in the wine itself, but probably more for the hype/privilege it stands for, or the earnings you hope to make by investing in such wines. This is a small group of people though. I do not really see that as a definition of luxury anymore. There is a decline in global wine consumption revenue (about 3.3 per cent in 2024, compared to 2023, according to OIV; 9 per cent since 2019), as people are drinking less wine. Whether this is due to economic pressure resulting from higher living costs since the pandemic, geopolitical tensions with conflicts in Ukraine, Israel, and Gaza, or democratic instability in the US, for health reasons and temperance movements, or whether younger generations are drinking less wine or differently, remains to be seen. I am not sure. It is likely a combination of several factors. Rich people are getting richer, middle-class and lower-income people are getting poorer. There will always be people who want to spend a significant amount of money on expensive wine as a form of status symbol, similar to purchasing a Rolex or other luxury items. Still, I do not believe that it is considered true luxury anymore. In today's uncertain world, the pursuit of purpose and value becomes increasingly important, especially among Gen Z and Millennials. Luxury thus becomes something different; it becomes an experience that fulfils you, that is less common, takes more effort to find. Colleagues in the wine tourism sector have informed me that individuals with disposable income are seeking to experience and learn more about rare grape varieties, lesser-known wine regions, and unique experiences that combine wine with other local and authentic artisans, artisanal products, and specific cultural customs of an area. Travelling "slow" or in a "kinder" way, as a marketing friend of mine has coined it. Here she means "kind" in the sense of travelling with respect for the local territory, its inhabitants and daily life. This is the luxury of the future. "Mass" tourism and buying the usual wine brands, even the ones that are a bit more expensive, will in this sense not be luxury anymore, but more part of a mainstream idea of wine. I think the fact that many categories of people, not only Gen Z, are drinking less and are not interested in the "usual" status symbol wines, is a sign that things are changing and that professionals in the wine world need to change their perspective as well. A shift is underway. And, in this sense, I think lesser-known grapes, such as Oseleta, can play a role in the ongoing change. It can help to tell the story of a territory, its viticultural culture, history, and customs. It can also attract people who are willing to spend on unique or rare wine tourism experiences, helping smaller and more artisanal wineries to establish their profiles. Then, whether to define it as luxury or as "low" or "kind" wine tourism is for others to decide. Climate-Resilient Future With climate change impacting traditional regions, how do you see varieties like Oseleta — with their small, thick-skinned berries — contributing to the resilience of Italian vineyards? Oseleta is said to be resilient to climate change, thanks to its disease resistance, and also resistant to frost. So, it could for sure be a grape for the future. However, it is also true that only 15 hectares in total have been planted in Veneto so far. This grape variety produces tannic wines with character, which is true, but so far, it requires a lot of storytelling to sell. We will see if the future will highlight grapes such as Oseleta or focus more on hybrid grapes. I believe that in the Italian mindset, it is still easier to consider integrating resistant Vitis vinifera grapes, such as the crosses Manzoni Bianco, Müller-Thurgau, and Rebo, than Piwi grapes in DOC and DOCG denominations. Oseleta could perhaps also be an option for the future in this sense. However, in France, they have already begun to incorporate hybrid grapes into denominations such as Bordeaux and Champagne. Looking Ahead What is your dream scenario for Oseleta in 2030? How do you imagine its place in the global wine conversation — on restaurant lists, at tastings, or even in pop culture? In my ideal scenario, native grapes like Oseleta would take their place in the sun and be leveraged to change the narrative about wine. They could be used to tell the story of their original territory and in relation to their historical role in blending grapes. Such rare grapes would have their place on wine lists at restaurants and in wine bars, telling a different story about a territory and an appellation. Such grapes could be used in tastings to attract younger wine drinkers by perhaps shaping the wine tastings differently, not according to the usual tasting notes, but to put Oseleta in a larger regional context with other appellations or wines, other lesser-known grape varieties, or creating a tasting itinerary through local music, images, art, history, or other. For Gen Z, why not create a gaming experience around Oseleta and its history? Or perhaps a cartoon? Create hiking experiences - virtual and IRL - around the soil, climate, and overall terroir where Oseleta thrives. Since birds often like Oseleta, why not create an ornithology seminar about local birds in Veneto? It is just a thought, if there are people interested in that. There are many ways Italian wine could be presented by shifting the perspective and the way we tell stories, the formats we use, and how we approach wine tasting, among other approaches. The important thing is to make wine fun again, without losing depth, structure, and complexity in what we do. We need to go beyond wine scores and presentations where consumers and wine lovers are preached to by wine professionals on how or what they should drink. There is a world filled with fascinating grape varieties, wine regions, and wines to discover. There is no need to drink only wines from a few wine appellations and wineries. --- Suchetana Choudhury (suchetana.choudhuri@agrospectrumindia.com) ]]> https://www.agrospectrumasia.com/news/123/3282/turning-climate-risk-into-opportunity-dr-godefroy-grosjean-and-ena-derenoncourt-on-ethiopias-green-finance-revolution.html https://www.agrospectrumasia.com/news/123/3282/turning-climate-risk-into-opportunity-dr-godefroy-grosjean-and-ena-derenoncourt-on-ethiopias-green-finance-revolution.html Wed, 24 Sep 2025 15:48:27 +0530 In this exclusive Agrospectrum interview, Dr. Godefroy Grosjean, Co-lead of CGIAR’s Hub for Sustainable Finance (ImpactSF), and Ena Derenoncourt, Senior Officer at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and ACT-H Project Lead, share how climate-aligned finance is reshaping Ethiopia’s agricultural landscape. They highlight  how the ACT-H initiative, backed by the Gates Foundation, is piloting bundled green loans that combine credit with irrigation, insurance, and training to de-risk horticulture value chains and empower smallholder farmers. Dr. Grosjean and Ena highlight the ImpactSF Analyzer, an AI-enabled tool translating climate data into actionable credit and portfolio metrics for banks, allowing them to move from single-loan transactions to systemic portfolio design. They have discussed the alignment of these efforts with Ethiopia’s ESG regulations, NAFIR 2025–2030, and ACC models, positioning horticulture as a catalytic entry point for climate-smart investment. Ultimately, they envision a financial ecosystem where capital flows to resilient, inclusive, and nature-positive food systems—turning climate risk into a driver of opportunity. Section I: Setting the Context – Vision and Urgency Ethiopia’s agriculture is both the backbone of the economy and deeply vulnerable to climate volatility. What motivated CGIAR’s ImpactSF to engage directly with the country’s financial institutions through ACT-H? Agriculture is vital to Ethiopia’s economy but highly climate-vulnerable. By embedding science-based KPIs and blended finance tools, ImpactSF helps banks design inclusive, climate-smart loans for small-scale producers and agri-SMEs—strengthening resilience and driving systemic change toward inclusive, nature-positive food, land, and water systems. The Government of Ethiopia has built a strong agricultural extension system, complemented by the Agricultural Transformation Institute’s (ATI) flagship initiative—the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC). The ACC model organizes priority commodities and value chain actors into clusters, creating a platform for targeted support and systemic change. Through the ACT-H initiative, supported by the Gates Foundation and in collaboration with ATI and Precise, ImpactSF is introducing green finance products to scale solar-powered irrigation for horticulture. Financing these crops through climate-informed financing, de-risking approaches, and market partnerships strengthen farmer resilience and fosters sustainable growth. In addition, building the capacity of financial institutions to design and deliver climate-linked and gender-sensitive financial products is critical. Tailored solutions ensure that women, youth, and vulnerable households are meaningfully included, reinforcing Ethiopia’s efforts toward inclusive and resilient agricultural transformation. The ACT-H initiative is framed around climate-smart horticulture. Why horticulture, and why now? What makes it a catalytic entry point for climate-aligned finance in Ethiopia? Horticulture is high-value, labor-intensive, and central to many farmer’s livelihoods. Yet it is highly exposed to drought and rainfall shifts, making deployment of climate finance urgent. The ACT-H initiative focuses on solar-powered irrigation and other climate-smart inputs, equipping farmers while catalyzing broader agri-food transformation. Horticulture—particularly banana and avocado within ACCs—offers a catalytic entry point for climate-aligned finance: Horticulture offers significant economic and livelihood benefits, contributing to household incomes, nutrition, and exports, with target crops that are bankable and enjoy strong market demand. However, these crops are highly vulnerable to climate shocks, and without appropriate risk instruments, households often face distress sales and defaults. By combining loans with insurance, climate-smart inputs, and digital repayment options, smallholder farmers—many of whom are too large for microfinance but perceived as too risky by commercial banks—become ideal candidates for innovative climate-aligned investment. Strategically, this approach aligns with national priorities such as NAFIR 2025–2030, the National Agricultural Insurance Strategy, and Digital Ethiopia 2025, while Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACCs) provide a scalable platform for implementation. By targeting horticulture now, ACT-H can demonstrate how climate-aligned finance can de-risk agriculture, attract private capital, and deliver measurable adaptation and livelihood outcomes—setting the stage for replication across other value chains. What unique role does CGIAR—through ImpactSF—play in bridging scientific insights with financial decision-making in such high-stakes, low-margin sectors like smallholder farming? ImpactSF leverages decades of CGIAR science and expertise into practical tools for lenders, with an emphasis on local relevance. Through the AI-informed ImpactSF Analyzer and robust KPI frameworks, we make climate risk visible and financeable. This bridges research with day-to-day lending realities, which is especially important for smallholders and women farmers, who often face significant barriers and challenges to accessing finance. At ImpactSF and within the CGIAR, our work with farmers and farmer organizations gives us key insights into what is needed to create change from the bottom up. Through this role, ImpactSF ensures that financial products are not only bankable but also aligned with climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience priorities, while advancing gender equity, youth inclusion, and environmental sustainability. Its ability to translate rigorous scientific evidence into actionable financial structures makes it uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between global climate finance standards (e.g., GCF, IFC, TCFD/IFRS S2) and the practical realities of Ethiopia’s smallholder systems. Section II: Climate Risk, Lending Challenges & Opportunity Framing Many Ethiopian banks reportedly have the liquidity but not the risk frameworks for agriculture. How is the ImpactSF Analyzer helping change that equation? This is a common challenge, banks across regions have liquidity but lack climate risk frameworks, limiting agri-lending. The ImpactSF Analyzer helps bridge this gap by identifying climate-smart investment opportunities, ensuring funding goes where it is needed. By integrating  scientific, financial and climate data, the Analyzer gives banks the confidence to design viable products that align with farmers’ realities and climate risk. By integrating scientific, financial, and climate data, the ImpactSF Analyzer enables comprehensive climate-smart lending. It supports risk-adjusted product design by aligning loans with seasonal cash flows, climate hazards, and insurance needs. It facilitates capital mobilization by producing risk metrics that attract concessional guarantees or additional liquidity. At the same time, it builds market confidence by tracking loan repayments, insurance uptake, and adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices, making agricultural finance more investable and resilient. The Analyzer ensures systematic, scalable expansion of climate-smart lending across Ethiopia. Could you explain how the tool translates climate data—like rainfall variability or drought hazards—into actionable metrics for credit scoring or portfolio design? The Analyzer takes climate data such as rainfall variability, drought frequency, or heat stress and links it directly to agricultural productivity risk at the crop and location level. Using CGIAR science, AI models and remote sensing, it projects yield impacts over the next 2–3 seasons, while also factoring in farmers’ adaptive capacity (e.g. irrigation, crop diversification). This produces forward-looking risk scores that can be integrated into credit scoring models or portfolio stress tests. For a lender, this means being able to differentiate between clients exposed to high vs. moderate climate risk, adjust loan conditions accordingly, and support anticipating default probabilities. At the portfolio level, the metrics allow banks to design more resilient sector exposures, set concentration limits, and steer capital toward climate-smart practices. Section III: Product Innovation, Tools & Bundled Finance The concept of bundled green finance—credit paired with irrigation, insurance, and training—was a major workshop highlight. What makes this model so promising for both lenders and farmers? Bundled finance reduces risk for both farmers and lenders. Pairing credit with irrigation, insurance, and training ensures farmers can repay loans while banks protect their portfolios. It’s a win-win model for resilience and growth. How are tools like the ImpactSF Analyzer enabling Ethiopian banks to go from a single-loan mindset to systems thinking—where value chains, repayment behavior, and environmental triggers are all interconnected? The Analyzer helps banks see farming systems, not just single loans. It links climate triggers, and value chain dynamics. This shifts lenders toward systemic, climate-smart portfolio design. Section IV: Systems Change, Policy & Inclusion Ethiopia’s regulators are rolling out new ESG reporting requirements. How is ImpactSF helping financial institutions align with this regulatory shift while strengthening climate-smart investment pipelines? The ESG rules present both challenges and opportunities. ImpactSF helps banks comply while building climate-smart pipelines through: ImpactSF supports financial institutions through a combination of capacity building, tools, and pipeline strengthening. It trains banks, MFIs, and insurers to design green finance products, including bundled credit, insurance, and solar-powered irrigation solutions. The ImpactSF Analyzer provides the data and insights needed to meet new ESG reporting requirements while designing stronger, more credible green finance products. Additionally, by applying a value chain lens, ImpactSF helps target priority sectors such as horticulture and livestock, scaling climate-smart products while ensuring measurable outcomes in gender inclusion, resilience, and productivity. ImpactSF turns new reporting requirements into an opportunity: building bankable, climate-smart products that attract concessional capital, reduce risk, and deliver real impact for farmers. What’s CGIAR’s broader vision for inclusive agri-finance in Ethiopia? Are you working to influence national policy, support rural banks, or scale models across other value chains? We work with banks, policymakers, and partners to shape national models. The aim is scalable finance across value chains and regions. This aligns with the CGIAR’s broader work in the region with the Ministry of Agriculture, National and Regional Agricultural Research Institutes, Ethiopian universities and both international and national development partners. There are the greatest number of CGIAR projects, initiatives, and funding in the East and Southern Africa (ESA) region, so it is a key area of our work. Section V: Scaling Impact & the Path Forward What’s next for ImpactSF and ACT-H in Ethiopia? Are there plans to pilot bundled loan products with partner institutions or integrate Analyzer insights into real-time lending decisions? Next, Act-H will co-develop bundled green loan products with partner banks and pilot innovative financing solutions in high-priority value chains. Insights from the ImpactSF Analyzer will feed into real-time lending, helping institutions actively manage climate risks. These pilots will lay the foundation for scale. How will success be measured—by hectares transformed, emissions reduced, capital deployed, or increased farmer incomes? Or is it something more systemic? Success means systemic change: capital flowing, risks reduced, and farmers empowered. It will be measured in farmer incomes, women’s access to finance, hectares under irrigation, and resilient lending portfolios. Above all, success means driving transformation toward a climate-smart financial ecosystem—one that helps turn Ethiopia’s climate challenges into investment opportunities. --- Suchetana Choudhury (suchetana.choudhuri@agrospectrumindia.com) ]]> https://www.agrospectrumasia.com/news/123/1664/yara-to-acquire-the-organic-based-fertilizer-business-of-italys-agribios.html https://www.agrospectrumasia.com/news/123/1664/yara-to-acquire-the-organic-based-fertilizer-business-of-italys-agribios.html Wed, 27 Dec 2023 09:03:05 +0530 Yara is further expanding its sector to mineral fertilizers to help promote regenerative agriculture and improve soil health. Yara is acquiring the organic-based fertilizer business of Agribios Italiana, the company’s second bolt-on acquisition supporting its organic strategy in Europe. Yara is further expanding its sector to mineral fertilizers to help promote regenerative agriculture and improve soil health. By combining Agribios’ expertise in high-quality organic-based fertilizers in Italy with Yara’s scale and reach in Europe, we can continue to meet the evolving needs of European farmers, regardless of their farming method. The acquisition will also allow Yara to continue to play its part in helping achieve the European Union (EU) ambition of increasing EU farmland under organic farming. Mónica Andrés Enríquez, Executive Vice-President for Europe at Yara said, “Soil health is the foundation for resilient crop production and sustainable farming. This acquisition reflects our commitment to preserve and further improve soil health, helping grow a nature-positive food future. By expanding our existing crop nutrition portfolio in Italy, we can continue to support farmers in making every nutrient count.” Balanced crop nutrition, together with good agricultural practices and digital tools, is crucial for the regeneration of our soils. An analysis of more than a hundred long-term fertilizer trials shows that fertilized land has a higher soil organic matter content than unfertilized land. Using organic sources of nutrients, in addition to mineral sources, results in the highest content of soil organic matter. Therefore, this acquisition will enable Yara to maximize the synergies between organic-based and mineral fertilizers, which is integral to our regenerative agriculture offering. Used in combination, organic and mineral nutrients enhance soil health, improve resource use, increase nutrient use efficiency, and boost crops’ resistance to climate change. Giovanni Ravagnan, CEO of Agribios Italiana said  “This is a pivotal moment for Agribios as we bring our expertise in organic-based fertilizers to the European stage. The new challenge ahead is to support both organic and conventional farmers across Europe, providing them with products that enhance the quality of their crops and soils.” Agribios has a broad portfolio of organic-based fertilizers produced using animal and agricultural by-products, contributing to the circular economy and reducing environmental impact. Its products can be used in both organic and conventional farming.  ]]>