The largest Italian Agriculture Organization Wants to End Mob-Themed Food.
Coldiretti (National Confederation of Direct Cultivators), the largest organization representing Italian agriculture, has put the mafia on its hit list.
According to a report in The Guardian, Italy’s biggest farmers’ association is mobilizing against the use of mafia terms that are often used worldwide to market food and drink products. An investigation by Coldiretti found that restaurants outside of Italy with “mafia-themed names” totaled nearly 300. There are currently no measures in place within the European Union to stop marketing gimmicks such as mafia-inspired products or eateries.
Alessandro Apolito, a manager at Coldiretti, was shocked to find a machine gun-shaped bottle of whisky made in Scotland known as the “Cosa Nostra Shot.”
“It’s scandalous to think that somebody could buy something of this kind, even if it’s only for a joke,” Apolito told The Guardian. “For us, joking about such serious things like the mafia is unacceptable.”
Apolito said that mafia-themed marketing hurts the image of modern Italy, as well as Italians worldwide, who have suffered at the hands of the mafia.
“Continuing to associate Italy with these mafia stereotypes and criminality is hugely damaging to the country’s image,” Apolito told The Guardian. “But the most significant issue is that it is an offense to the victims of the mafia as hundreds of innocent people have been killed by the mafia or suffer from its criminality. In Palermo, especially, there was a strong sense of indignation over this absurd marketing. There are millions of Sicilians who are honest and respect the laws but who are victims of this criminal plague.”
Source: The Guardian