Luca Zaia

Infobox_Officeholder
honorific-prefix = Dottore
name = Luca Zaia


order = Italian Minister of Agriculture

term_start = May 8 2008
term_end =
primeminister = Silvio Berlusconi
predecessor = Paolo De Castro
successor = incumbent

birth_date = birth date and age|1968|03|27
birth_place = Conegliano, Italy
nationality = Italian
profession =
party = Liga Veneta-Lega Nord

Luca Zaia (Conegliano, 27 March 1968) is an Italian Venetist politician, member of Liga Veneta-Lega Nord. He is Minister of Agriculture in Silvio Berlusconi's fourth cabinet since 8 May 2008.

Career

He married in 1998 and he currently lives in Bibano di Godega di Sant'Urbano in the sinistra Piave trevigiana. He succeeded his diploma in the year 1987 at the "G.B. Cerletti" Oenological School in Conegliano. In 1993 he graduated in Animal Production Sciences at the University of Udine. Furthermore, he attended the I.F.A. (Insurance Training Institute) course at the C.C.I.A.A. (Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Craft Trade and Agriculture) and also the course for Managers held by Professor Mario Unnia. While carrying out his studies at the University, he always kept on working getting to play managerial roles in private companies.

In 1993, at the age of 25, he has been elected within the Liga Veneta-Lega Nord as City Councillor of Godega di Sant'Urbano. In 1995 he was appointed as Provincial Councillor and Assessor for Agriculture. In 1998 he became President of the Province of Treviso and he was the youngest president of a Province in Italy.

In 2002 he was reconfirmed President of a single-party Council.

During his Presidency, he launched a process of private management implementation within a public body. Afterwards, he wanted to introduce in the provincial budgets, the so-called "creative finance": swap and rating. The first follow-up was the quotation of the Province of Treviso on the international markets. It must be also pointed out the purchase of the former "S. Artemio" Psychiatric Hospital becoming the new venue of the province and implying a big re-distribution of the institutional and road connections logistic, together with 67 hectares of land hosting the whole structure to be turned into an Eco-park. The Strategic Plan of the Province of Treviso involved the most important European cities (Barcelona, Frankfurt, Lion, Stockholm, Glasgow, Valencia, Seville). The important planning project was able to connect all the most strategic players. The national and European pilot project on road safety, the roundabout's project and the detection of safer conditions for roads' system, have been extremely crucial for traffic security. His strong confidence in the great tourist potential of the Marca, convinced him to put all his energies in the development of this sector focusing on the Tourism Territorial Plan with an effective marketing project. His strong commitment in doing so was fully compensated by the boom of tourists recorded in the Marca over the past few years and gained through the promotion of the typical products of the Marca and the enhancement of farm holidays. He has always been, first and foremost, careful of the protection of traditions, culture and language, while paying great attention to the future of his own Community that was clearly proved by the establishment of school Institutes and by the promotion of training courses. He is also the inventor of the Provincial Agricultural Information Desk, promoter of the establishment of the Consortium for the Protection of the Radicchio di Treviso e Castelfranco Veneto, supporter of initiatives for the olive-growing and chest-nut growing sectors. He kick started initiatives for launching the Oenological School of Conegliano and he proposed the establishment of the Degree Course in Oenology, the first in Italy. In the last years he has also been President of the URPV (Regional Union of the Provinces of Veneto).

He has been deputy-President of the Regional Council of Veneto from June 2005 to May 2008, appointed for tourism policies, agriculture and animal husbandry policies, rural development plan, LEADER community plan, mountain economy and development, promotional activities and foreign trade, Veneto identity and integrated promotion.

He has been appointed Minister of Agriculture on 8th May 2008 in the current Government Chaired by Silvio Berlusconi.

External links

* [http://www.politicheagricole.it/default.html Italian Ministry of Agriculture Official Website] it icon