Organic products: wheat

The organic products market is constantly growing and with the problems related to covid 19, it recorded a strong increase in the current year. Il sole 24ore of 1 October 2020 (https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/emergenza-covid-consumi-cibo-biologico-quota-33-miliardi-e-record-ADXFNts) reports some significant data taken from the “report “Bio in figures 2020″ presented by Ismea at the meeting organized by Coldiretti on the occasion of the formalization of the annual report of the SINAB (National Information System on organic farming) ”
Italy – as of 2019 – boasts the largest number of farms engaged in organic farming. At the same time, Italy recorded a significant increase in organic imports in 2019.
The strong demand of the market, in fact, has induced several operators to import these products often from countries with quality standards and, above all, safety standards that are significantly lower than ours.
In organic wheat, which has a strategic importance due to the massive presence of wheat-based products in our diet, it should be emphasized that not only the absence of chemicals (pesticides *) is important but also the absence (or a strong limitation) of chemical fertilizers**. https://glutenlight.eu/en/2019/03/14/fertilizers-and-wheat/
In fact, nitrogen fertilizers used to increase yield, also have a strong impact on the quantity and strength of gluten. Quantity and strength of gluten which are directly responsible for the digestibility – and consequently also for the tolerability – of the finished products.
Nitrogen fertilizers can alter the relationship between gliadins and glutenins thus also altering the quantitative composition of the immunogenic fractions they contain.
Products made with organic wheat are “strongly” to be preferred in the diet of non-celiac subjects who have problems with gluten / wheat.
www.glutenlight.eu/en/2020/09/25/variety-of-ancient-grain-and-market/

Note
* Pesticides – also known as agrochemicals – are substances used to protect plants from parasites; they include herbicides (to kill weeds), fungicides (to fight disease) and insecticides (to kill insects). Unfortunately, these substances not only free us from unwanted species, but can also cause damage to our health and the environment.

** Chemical fertilizers for agriculture are substances or mixtures of substances that are used to enrich the soil with nutrients useful for the development of plants. To get to produce the fertilizers, water, saline compounds based on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are used for the most part.