Despite an extremely difficult international scenario, the Italian food system is determined to resist and looks to the future with optimism. According to 7 out of 10 companies, the current difficulties will not stop investments in sustainability, which have been ongoing for years, and for 84.5 percent of Italian food companies, the crisis will boost the system by becoming a real opportunity. Moreover, for as many as two out of three companies (67.6 percent) exports will remain at the center of their strategies. These are the results of the first survey – on a sample of more than 100 companies – by Unione Italiana Food – the largest association of food categories in Europe, representing 550 Italian agri-food companies.
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“After the pandemic and the resulting logistical blockade, we hoped to be at the dawn of a period of recovery. However, the war in Ukraine and increases in energy costs have brought us new and unexpected difficulties. The shortage of raw materials is a serious problem for the food sector, capable of creating significant damage. Although the scenario may be discouraging, we want to keep an optimistic outlook. Italian entrepreneurs are an example of skill, inventiveness, and resilience. The future of food also passes through the future of the food industry and its innate ability to innovate. And the coming years may still be characterized by a strong push toward growth,” says Unione Italiana Food’s President, Marco Lavazza (right in the photo, with Vice President Paolo Barilla).
In fact, one in three companies bets on optimism. “The Italian food industry never stops, and over the years it has faced ever new challenges that confirm its strong social, as well as economic, role. After World War II we had to feed a population that had no food. Then we won the challenges of food quality and safety, carrying the flag of Italian food to the world. Our generation’s responsibility is to ensure that the planet has access to quality, healthy, safe, and sustainable food. This is, in essence, what Made in Italy is made of. Our food has always been synonymous with excellence in taste, quality, and safety, but also with joy and conviviality,” says Paolo Barilla, Vice President of Unione Italiana Food.
EXPORTS DRIVE THE SECTOR’S GROWTH
The report by Unione Italiana Food confirms the global love for Italian food. Exports exceeded the 50 billion euro threshold in 2021, 40 billion of which were directly related to the food industry. The products whose sales are growing the most on foreign markets are supplements (+20 percent), coffee (+14.3 percent), and vegetables such as preserves, jams, and marmalade (+9 percent).