According to Italian farmers association Coldiretti, sales of Italian delicacies and wines in the UK are up, despite a slowdown due to ‘Brexit effects’. Global sales of Italian food and wines are indeed set to break the €40 billion mark, if growth continues to mirror the first eight months of 2018. Sales are up 9.1 per cent compared to 2017 for the sector, and 2018 could be a record-breaking year. While average growth across the EU – mainly France and Germany – was 8.6 per cent, sales of Italian delicacies and wines in the UK showed “signs of Brexit effects” and growth was slower at 1.3 per cent.
PROSECCO AND THE FEARS OF BREXIT
As The Local reports, Italian leading sparkling wine Prosecco hit a first hangover after ten years of uninterrupted growth. For the first time in a decade, the number of bottles of Venetian sparkly exported to the UK dropped. Even if 2018 is set to be a record year for Italian food and drink exports, Coldiretti lamented that the Italian food and beverage sector could be worth €100 billion if brands, labels and geographical indicators weren’t copied in other markets.
THE PRICE OF COUNTERFEITING
Piracy of the ‘Made in Italy’ brand costs the sector €60 billion each year, according to another study by Coldiretti. Two out of three food products advertising themselves as Italian outside of Italy actually have nothing to do with Italy. Cheese makers seem to be the most guilty when it comes to counterfeiting. Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano, Gorgonzola, Pecorino, Provolone, Asiago and Fontina are some of the most counterfeit products. Many foreign companies exploit Italy’s profile “with misappropriated images, colors, words, locations and recipes that recall Italy” – even if the product is usually not from Italy.