Pachino is a town in Italy after which a particular variety of tomato is named, grown in the vicinity. A scandal arose around this tomato in early 2011 when a television presenter, Alessandro Di Pietro, called for the boycott of this incredibly popular type of tomato as he said that the the mafia had taken over the trade, controlling the distribution across Italy and controlling prices - up to 11 times what was paid to suppliers. Whilst the claims are backed by police investigations, Stefania Prestigiacomo, the environment minister, who comes from Siracusa nearby, asked that RAI, the television station, "retract this absurd and damaging accusation." He warned that such action would put at risk the livelihoods of over 5,000 producers "who have made their cherry tomatoes synonymous with quality around the world." So, the tomato is a small, sweet, red cherry tomato with a high reputation.
