Battle for Grain

This campaign was successful in increasing wheat output and lowering the trade balance deficit, but was ultimately economically counter-productive for Italy's agricultural sector as farmers who grew other produce had to clear their land for grain cultivation which decreased exports and thus resulted in higher food prices which placed Italian families under financial strain.

However, this programme depended on farmers clearing their land for grain cultivation which many did, but this resulted in a sharp decline in Italy's chief exports such as wines, cheeses and fruits as well as meat and dairy products since there was limited agricultural space for viticulture and livestock rearing and other European rivals such as Spain and Greece subsequently took over and prospered from their trade.

Therefore, it is clear that the Battle for Grain was merely a propaganda initiative designed to project an image of a hard-working, ruralised Italian populace who were loyal fascists successfully fulfilling Mussolini's fanatical policies of Italy being a self-sufficient, autarkic state.

In reality, Italy lacked the necessary infrastructure and development to achieve this goal which was compounded by apathy from Italian farmers to carry out Mussolini's wish.

This farcical campaign was merely a façade to disguise Italy's internal weakness from being known by other more powerful and developed countries such as Germany and Britain, which profoundly intimidated Mussolini.