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Biting Into the Food Industry, Investigating Agribusiness
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The global food industry and, more generally, agribusiness are rich veins for investigative reporting, which deserve more attention. For example, “Olive Oil: The Green Gold Rush,” a new report from the Investigative Reporting Project Italy (IRPI), explores “food fraud” in the Mediterranean olive oil industry. It highlights fraud in the way olive oil is produced, distributed and marketed, exposing consumers to the industry’s gross manipulation of a regional commodity. Cecilia Anesi of IRPI spoke about a pending case against Azienda Olearia Valpesana, one of the biggest olive oil traders in Italy. Last year, four Valpesana executives were arrested on charges including fraud and forming a criminal network.