We all read about Bill Gates predicting that the next world war would not see –– armies and weapons, as protagonists but a virus.
We were impressed by such a vision, such strength. still we only realized the meaning of those words after Covid-19 caused a pandemic that looks no one in the face, from the most powerful man on Earth – U.S. President Donald Trump – to any Mr. Nobody who, when you think about it, in Covid-19’s view is Trump himself.

the more time goes by, however, the less valuable Gates’ prophecy is to me. Sure, he saw things right as no one else, nevertheless just pointing to a virus was too elusive. Which virus? When? In what form? Above all, how to prepare people, countries, and governments for it? No clue. And herein lies the reason for the general lack of planning before the virus started spreading.

For work and for passion, I am following the pandemic as seen from the perspective of the world of agricultural production, food and wine – and of their distribution and delivery. This means stores and supermarkets- the most reassuring outlets-, and also bars and pizzerias, restaurants and trattorias- the places most at risk.
mind you, they are at risk especially due to fear and psychosis associated with indoor places.

In Italy, although I think this also applies to the whole so-called Western world, the kitchens, staff, rooms, and the tables of any public place are sanitized with almost maniacal care. Owners and managers mind about the cleanliness of their places –it was so even before – because they know that any profit from their activity depends on it.
They can’t afford any mistake, now more than ever.
having said that, following rules and complying with every provision is not enough to make citizens feel safe and step into a place with no worries. that would be a distorted view of this world and, no matter what one does, the customers would still not feel safe. that is an obstacle that cannot be overcome.

The restaurant business is the perfect victim of a thousand clichés, as well as so much mediocrity at the level of government, administrators and mass media, and of the virologists’ desire to play a leading role. They can’t believe they have become television stars, and in order to be listened to, they threaten the end of humanity, like Cassandra did on the walls of Troy. Restaurants and hotels, the hospitality industry and top-notch agricultural production chains are victims of the eternal love the average Italian feels for the “almost-free full meal”,for the cute little hotel, for products passed off as best of the season and picked in the garden, and for freshly caught fish.

It will take a long time to build again, in different yet still effective ways within an economic model -a universe – that was based on today shattered reference points, one for all: mass tourism. People no longer travel. Countries are closing their borders/retreating in on themselves. It’s not even appropriate to talk about the journeying to and from continents.
in Italy, regions are locked down again, and we live of stop and go attempts. There is a disheartening data point: we proceed through improvisations and bans but tolerate a summer piling up on the beach and cramming in the discos.

The moment is extraordinarily difficult. Exceptional measures would be needed, but only through a vision of real economic growth, of choices and investments rather than through subsidies. The exact opposite of Italian politics playing with handouts, ‘small change’ raining down so that no category can complain about being excluded.
It seems that a sick Italy is relying on one of those good doctors who do not make you die, but neither heal you.

It is still too early to predict the future.
For us Italians, it is comforting to have behaved in a ‘better’ way if compared to other foreign countries, while facing the outbreak of the pandemic, It’s almost unbelievable, a miracle.
We are in a better health despite the fact that large parts of the population, after the lockdown, have disregarded any invitation to play safe.

Yet, let’s remember that if people in other countries fall ill, our economy will too, and we’ll be back to square one.