Coop sends a signal of solidarity to Italian farmers and producers in the midst of the road transport crisis, pledging not to replace missing products with purchases from abroad and asking its members and consumers for “a small sacrifice”.
A delicate situation
The cooperative describes the supply situation for perishable goods as “potentially critical, but not dramatic”. Some fruit and vegetable supply chains are most affected: grapes, clementines, lemons and some vegetables. Until Friday 23 October 2026, according to Coop, what was happening in the regions of Southern Italy had not produced significant impacts on the sales network of the Center and North. The situation, however, is worsening “hour by hour”, with supplies occurring “in fits and starts” and stocks in store warehouses running low.
The shelves, Coop specifies, are stocked for now. However, the risk of shortages could materialize in the coming days if the lockdowns continue. Among the areas already under pressure, Friuli is mentioned in particular. “In such a fluid situation there are logistical routes that are more involved and territorial areas where greater tensions are already being recorded”, reads the note.
The cooperative’s commitment is clear: no substitution with foreign products, except for those whose origin is normally foreign. The request to consumers is to accept any shortages on the shelves as a gesture of support for national production categories “and so as not to bow to the logic of business at any cost”.