The fourth “Week of Italian Cuisine in the World” – a series of initiatives and events, scheduled from 18 to 24 November, to spread the knowledge about authentic Italian F&B products – was officially presented yesterday at the Officine Farneto in Rome. In the last four years, thanks to the activities carried out by ICE – Italian Trade Agency and all those involved in the initiative more than 4,500 initiatives have been carried out in more than 50 countries in the world.
“Spreading Italian cuisine by communicating its values means enhancing the global knowledge of authentic Made in Italy food,” – said Luigi Scordamaglia, member of the board of ICE – Italian Trade Agency and coordinator of Filiera Italia. According to estimates, today there are more than 90,000 Italian restaurants in the world for a total turnover of about 200 billion euros.
“These dizzying figures – continued Scordamaglia – make Italian cuisine the second most widespread cuisine in the world, after the Chinese one”. A trend that is becoming more and more popular. “The world wants Italian food associated with our unique lifestyle: in some countries, such as the U.S., Brazil, and India, Italian cuisine is already the first choice for those who want to eat outside their homes.”
ITALIAN CUISINE: THE CHALLENGE OF COUNTERFEITING
The presentation of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World was also an opportunity to highlight the problems that still affect Italian food in the world. “Even today, 2 out of 3 products are counterfeited, and Italian sounding steals important market shares,” said Scordamaglia. In this sense, Filiera Italia together with Italian farmers association Coldiretti and the Italian Ministry of Agriculture has long since launched and encouraged the spread of anti-counterfeiting and certification tools for Italian restaurants.
“Let’s not forget the educational role of our restaurants in the world – continued Scordamaglia – because through food we spread our culture and share a food model that has made Italy one of the most sustainable countries in the world.”
ITALIAN FOOD EXPORTS
Meanwhile, Italian agri-food exports continue to reach new records. According to the most recent ISTAT data, non-EU exports of ‘non-durable goods’ – of which food constitutes a significant part – grew by +26.6% compared to September 2018 and by +18.3% compared to the first 9 months of 2018.