According to an analysis by Coldiretti, made in Italy food has reached record exports with a value of almost 17 billion never reached in the past in the first five months of 2021. From January to May the food sector grew by 8.9 %: the only sector growing also in the previous year in full pandemic with a value of 46.1 billion.
The most popular made in Italy products for export are basic ones such as wine and fresh fruit and vegetables. After all, one of the positive notes of the health emergency caused by Covid-19 is the healthy turning point in global consumers who have favored the choice in the cart of products that are allies of well-being such as those of the Mediterranean diet. Thanks to Italy’s victory in the European football championships, greater growth in Italian food exports is expected in the coming months.
“A result obtained despite the difficulties of commercial exchanges and the lockdown in all continents of catering that has heavily affected Italian cuisine but also favored the return to home preparation of meals on all continents with the boom of Made in Italy recipes” Coldiretti explained.
Among the importing countries of Italian food, we find Germany in first place with an increase of 5.4% – the same as France which is in third place. In second place we find the United States, which however recorded the greatest increase in demand with a jump of 14.2% favored by the entry into force on 11 March 2021 of the agreement between the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and US President Joe Biden on the suspension of all fares related to Airbus-Boeing disputes. The fourth place among the main customers of Made in Italy at the table goes to Great Britain where due to Brexit, with the heavier administrative burdens, food exports collapsed by 8.4%.
“Italy can restart from its strengths with the agri-food sector which has shown resilience in the face of the crisis and can play a driving role for the entire economy. To support the growth trend of Made in Italy food and wine, it is also necessary to act on Italy’s structural delays and to unblock all the infrastructures that would improve connections between the South and North of the country, but also with the rest of the world by sea and rail high speed, with a network of hubs made up of airports, trains and cargo” said Ettore Prandini, President of Coldiretti.
