An interesting new service launched last month by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture is giving anyone who sends a particular code via SMS the chance to receive a list of officially approved fresh fruit and vegetable prices direct to their mobile phone. The idea is that, armed with such information, shoppers up and down the peninsula will be able to make informed decisions about whether or not the price of a pomodoro is astronomic or simply gastronomic.
'This public service will help Italian shoppers protect themselves against prices that are much higher than the going rate,' said a ministry official.
The Italian government, due to be freshly squeezed into office this month as Silvio Berlusconi busily unpacks his own unique brand of chauvinism and sets out on his third stint as Prime Minister, finally seems to be cracking down on the problem of price speculation, one that has dogged the country in recent years. Consumers are now in a position to tip off the authorities about exorbitant prices by texting the name and location of the offender to the new hotline. Armies of grey-suited Guardia di Finanza officers are reportedly waiting just around the corner, ready to jump out and give the naughty shopkeepers a jolly good telling off.
Please forgive my light-hearted reaction. If Berlusconi's boys (oh, and not forgetting those better-looking, right-wing ladies) really are going to rap some knuckles and pull unscrupulous vendors into line, then I will be the first to congratulate him. The last thing the fresh produce trade needs is speculation on top of inflation, so anything with the potential to keep some sort of lid on the practice is worth pursuing.
The topic of food price inflation is hotter than a Moscow hotel manager's phone* at the moment, so the fact that FRESH is just around the corner means there will be plenty to talk about at this year's event. Personally, I’m looking forward to the session on lobby groups, in which a panel of speakers from Greenpeace, WWF and Solidaridad will explain how Europe’s NGOs are developing a brand new agenda on issues such as carbon footprint, food miles, water usage and corporate social responsibility. Finally, the fresh produce trade has an opportunity to receive the message first-hand.
* Champions League Final – Manchester United to win 2-0
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