Yesterday, Naples hosted the opening of the “Buffalo Mozzarella Milk Products” congress, the first international event dedicated to buffalo mozzarella. Running over two days, the congress aims to assess the future of a product that, as Domenico Raimondo, President of the Consortium for the Protection of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO, noted in his opening remarks, “accounts for around 14% of Campania’s GDP and supports 15,000 jobs.”
Attendees include representatives from India, the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil. “This event brings together the elite of the global dairy industry,” said Raimondo. “India and the rest of Asia have 200 million buffaloes, while Italy has just 410,000, all of the Mediterranean breed. Yet, we have built a world-class supply chain, raising buffalo, producing milk, and turning it into mozzarella—a model other countries, from South America to Asia, look to with respect.”
Italy’s agriculture minister, Francesco Lollobrigida, emphasized the international appeal of mozzarella: “With €750 million in consumer sales in 2022 and certified production of 55.6 million kilograms, mozzarella is a global favorite. Forty percent of production is exported, with France, Germany, Spain, and the UK accounting for more than 60% of that.”
The event also saw the participation of AFIDOP, the association representing Italian PDO and PGI cheese producers. Antonio Auricchio, its president, stressed the importance of sustainability: “Sustainability has become a strategic priority for PDO and PGI cheeses, which, with €5.2 billion in production value, represent the leading category in the PDO economy and a key pillar of Made in Italy. AFIDOP has long promoted sustainable practices and is now working to establish guidelines for the sustainability report required by the new EU regulations on Geographical Indications.”
BUFFALO MOZZARELLA: A NEW ROADMAP FOR THE INDUSTRY
A document drafted at the close of the Naples congress, and endorsed by representatives of the world’s leading dairy organizations, has been submitted to the G7 Agriculture meeting currently underway in Ortigia (Syracuse, Sicily).
The document calls for an end to “indiscriminate attacks and misinformation targeting agri-food products, including high-quality ones.” It also renews opposition to “artificial or lab-grown, cell-based foods”, and advocates for “greater transparency in labeling to protect consumers, with mandatory disclosures to distinguish plant-based products and ensure proper use of terms like ‘milk’ and ‘cheese.’”
The international event in Naples serves as a precursor to the World Buffalo Congress, which Italy will once again host in 2026, also in Naples. The congress highlights the growing global importance of the Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO supply chain.