During the Covid-19 emergency, food and beverage have become the main wealth of Italy for a value equal to 25% of GDP or 538 billion euros along the entire food chain, from field to table. In Italy the sector can boast four million workers engaged in 740 thousand farms, 70 thousand food industries, over 330 thousand restaurants&co. and 230 thousand retail outlets. This is what Ettore Prandini, the president of the association of Italian farmers, Coldiretti, said in his speech at the Food System pre Summit of the United Nations in the session dedicated to “From the G20 Matera Declaration to the Food Systems Summit: A Framework for Emerging Coalitions of Action”.
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According to Coldiretti, this result is the recognition of the role played by the association in the promotion of a model of agriculture attentive to innovation based on sustainable development, environmental protection, health and social rights with the enhancement of the relationship with the territories and local production. A commitment that has led Italy to be a world leader in the protection of biodiversity, food safety and quality productions that are also the most counterfeited in the world with a value that exceeded 100 billion euros in 2020.
“From the ecological transition to the digital transformation, we are aware of the role and responsibility that every farmer in the world has in front of him” – said Mr. Prandini in emphasizing that “we are producers of life and from our commitment depends in particular the fight against hunger and the fight against poverty.”
The global emergency caused by the pandemic has brought about a widespread awareness of the strategic value of food and the necessary guarantees of quality and safety. In this respect, Italy has the highest number of PDO, PGI and TGS recognized specialties (314), 526 PDO and PGI wines and 5,266 traditional food products.