Practice Abstract #6 - Legal Definition of Agricultural Activity in Italy: Enabling Small-Scale and Local Food Production

Before the introduction of recent regulations, many farmers and local operators worked within a fragmented and unclear legal framework concerning agricultural activities, local processing and direct sales. This generated uncertainty about hygiene procedures, production limits, and compliant marketing practices. Laws 30/2022 and 61/2022 aim to address these issues by clearly defining what constitutes agricultural and fishery activities and which types of small-scale local processing are allowed. The objective is to support local, small-scale production linked to short supply chains, offering greater legal certainty, transparency and consistency with regulatory requirements.