The 2024 Italian tomato harvesting and processing campaign, marked by climatic uncertainties, price imbalances, and unfair competition from non-EU countries that fail to meet Italian standards for quality and sustainability, was the focus of Anicav’s (Italian Association of Vegetable Food Canning Industries) latest public assembly on December 3 in Parma. The event also saw a range of proposed measures to support and safeguard the sector.
Giovanni De Angelis, Anicav’s Director General, addressed recent developments in the UK, where an investigative report raised concerns over the origin of raw materials in certain tomato pastes sold in British supermarkets. “This investigation calls for reflection, particularly regarding the methodology, which we believe lacks scientific grounding,” De Angelis said. “Our association is working to establish a reliable, shared method for verifying raw material origins and combating fraud.” He also touched on the regulatory challenges: “While we support open markets free of tariffs, we recognize that in certain cases, targeted protectionist policies may be necessary at the EU level. We welcome the adoption of the ‘Products Made with Forced Labour’ regulation, which bans the sale of goods produced using forced labor within the European market.”
ANICAV’S PROPOSALS FOR THE ITALIAN TOMATO SUPPLY CHAIN
Among the key proposals discussed was the introduction of the principle of reciprocity across Europe—ensuring all players follow the same rules. Another proposal was extending Italy’s existing law, which mandates that tomato paste be made exclusively from fresh tomatoes to the entire EU. The law would also require labels to indicate the country of origin and, where possible, the region where the tomatoes were grown.
ITALIAN INDUSTRY IN FIGURES
The 2024 processing campaign in Italy saw a production of 5.3 million tons of tomatoes, a slight drop of 2.5% compared to 2023. Italy remains the world’s third-largest processor of tomatoes, behind China—whose output grew by 31% compared to 2023 and 68% from 2022—and the United States, where production fell by 14% year-on-year. Italy accounts for 11.8% of global production (45.8 million tons) and 47.4% of European processing, with an expected total revenue of €5.5 billion.
Despite a slight decline in domestic consumption, exports have seen strong growth. In the first half of 2024, export volumes rose by 9% and value increased by 8.93% compared to the same period in 2023.