The increase in turnover of the Italian food industry, which grew by +14.7 percent in November 2022, was driven mainly by exports. Considering the whole of 2022, Italian food exports hit an all-time record of 60 billion euros. This is mostly thanks to products that are staples of the Mediterranean Diet such as wine, pasta, and fresh fruit and vegetables – which form the podium of the best-selling Italian F&B products abroad.
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This is according to the Italian farmers’ association Coldiretti in reference to Istat data on food industry turnover in November 2022. This is the month when stocks are being prepared for the Christmas holidays; last year was marked by a real hoarding of Italian products on consumers’ tables all around the world.
ITALY’S BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS ABROAD
The king of Italian exports is once again wine, with a total value estimated close to eight billion euros in 2022 thanks to double-digit export growth. In second place are pasta and other cereal derivatives, with an export volume exceeding seven billion euros. Third are fresh fruits and vegetables, accounting for about 5.5 billion in export sales. Exports of extra virgin olive oil, cheeses, and cured meat also grew significantly.
KEY MARKETS
Germany is still the main outlet market for Italian food exports, with sales up +13 percent, ahead of the US (+20 percent), and France (+17 percent). Positive results also in the UK (+18%) where Italian food exports have proved stronger than Brexit. Double-digit growth also in Turkey (+23%), while sales are declining in China (-20%) and Russia (-5%).
Talking about Italian F&B farmers and industries, Coldiretti President Ettore Prandini stresses the importance of the commitment to “internationalization, in order to support Italian companies that want to conquer new markets and strengthen established ones, by enhancing the strategic role of the Italian Trade Agency with the support of our embassies.”