Last year has been full of achievements for Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI. Its numbers are a testimony to its significant growth under various aspects and this is further confirmed by the latest Qualivita-Ismea 2017 report. A yearly investigation which analyses the most important social and economic phenomena within the certified food quality division. Among the Italian PDO and PGI groupings, that in 2016 was worth roughly 15 billion euro (with an incidence of 11% on the total agricultural industry), the exports value stands out as its growth reached 8.4 billion euro. Italy is a country that holds the world record for titles won among the groups within Food & Wine (813 out of a total of 3,005) and Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI in fact stands out among them. It is the most exported Italian food with 92% of its production directed towards a market outside of Italy, with half of it going to countries outside of Europe. The Protection Consortium for Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI’s numbers confirm this record: total production for 2017 of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI was 97.5 million litres, +3% from 2016 and +5% from 2015, with sales abroad growing by 143% in the past ten years.
The Consortium role
The behaviour of balsamic vinegars within the Qualivita-Ismea report can therefore be characterised by the renowned modenese PGI which in 2016 represented roughly 99% of all certified volumes in terms of production value with 385 million euro representing 5.8% of the total certified food division of the PDO and PGI, and 26% of total exports from the Geographically Indicated food division, with a value of 882 million euro. The consumption value instead was about 970 million euro, on the rise from 2016. This growth would not have been possible without the help and contribution of the Protection Consortium, which continued to increase the knowledge and understanding of this local specialty worldwide. After all, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is one of the most counterfeited Italian products abroad, mainly due to the commercial success that makes it appealing to be produced outside the area defined by the Protected Geographical Indication. Our main mission, said Federico Desimoni, Director of Protection Consortium BVM, is to share the values of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI, guaranteeing its total protection in order to constantly increase the consumer’s knowledge, understanding and involvement.
The authentic balsamic vinegar of Modena PGI
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is an ancient condiment that was obtained from the must of fermented grapes with the addition of aged vinegar and wine vinegar, and finished off in wooden barrels which was registered as PGI back in 2009 by the EU. The PGI logo is in fact what makes it recognisable today as authentic Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. It’s a protected product, whose production specifications are safeguarded by the Protection Consortium, who just recently presented to the Ministry of Agriculture a proposal to introduce a more in-depth control process of the raw materials, specifically the must of grapes and wine vinegar.