“Never like this year we need next festivities to bring us good mood, warmth and hope. A real tree is the only one that gets Christmas vibes. And it’s cultivated only for Christmas use, without products that can be harmful to the environment”.

This is the appeal launched by Francesco Mati, chairman of Nursery Confederation of Confagricoltura, for a Christmas in the sign of sustainability, by buying a real Christmas tree and by decorating our home with cyclamen and poinsettias.

This year the nurseries of Confagricoltura recommend the Normandy tree or the Excelsa (spruce).

Regarding the poinsettias, in addition to red and white, floriculturists propose the orange, color symbol of happiness and joy.

Coldiretti joined immediately the appeal in favour of “sustainable holidays” and it underlines that, in this regard, data are significant: nearly 3 out of 4 Italians (72%) decorate Christmas tree, but in most houses the artificial tree prevails: the real one so far resists in the houses of 3,5 million families, in compliance with a tradition that has to deal both with the economic crisis and  the reduction of domestic spaces.

Christmas - the two associations point out - is also an excellent opportunity to support the Italian floriculture, which records a turnover of more than 2.5 billion euros and an export of almost one billion, but which is particularly afflicted by the pandemic. The sector, which has 27,000 companies with around 200,000 workplaces, is really counting on the Christmas season, which accounts for around 15% of companies' business.