Italian Farmers Join Truckers in Strike, Warn of Food Crisis

Italian farmers, led by former Forconi leader Danilo Calvani, have joined truckers in protests, warning of a looming food crisis. Calvani says northern Italy will join the strike after harvests conclude in 40-50 days. Calvani, 64, claims farmers started protesting in mid-September, before truckers, citing wheat at 20 cents and milk at 35-36 cents per liter. He accuses the government of failing to protect agriculture against cheap imports from North Africa, China, Canada, and Ukraine, and says farms face auctions and foreclosure. Calvani denies political ambitions, stating he is "born a farmer and will die a farmer." He leads the Cra (Comitati riuniti agricoli) with 200,000 members, and predicts supermarket price increases and an inability to sow crops if demands for protection are not met.