"Throughout Italy we need school restaurants serving organic food, " the minister said Wednesday in a reaction to the latest consumer panic over "madcow" disease but also concern about genetically-modified foodstuffs. He said he was also working to impose a reduction of pesticides over a three-year period, but added: "I don't know if we will succeed."

Italy is growing organic foodstuffs on one million hectares (2.5 million acres), the largest area in any European country, according to Pecoraro Scanio. He said the decision to favor organic food was designed to keep tainted food off store shelves and genetically-modified foodstuffs from school meals.