(Finance) – The food sector is almost synonymous with Made in Italy and makes an important contribution to the growth of the economy: for the 93% of ItaliansThe food industry is synonymous with social and economic development and for the 94% Made in Italy is one of the main ones ambassadors of Italianness in the world and a driving force for the economy thanks to exports (53 billion in value in 2023 for the agri-food sector alone). For 89% of the respondents, help for the sector may come from future choices that will be made in the EU whether there will be more incisive actions to support the competitiveness of European companies compared to non-European ones. This is what emerged during thepublic meeting of Federalimentareheld at CIBUS 2024underway in Parma, where the Federalimentare-Censis research “The food industry between the European Union and new global configurations” was also presented.
The food industry is now in first place among the manufacturing sectors in terms of value sales 193 billion) and in second place both in terms of number of companies and employees (464 thousand) over 60 thousand companies. In 2023 the value of esports of the food and beverage industry was equal to 53.4 billion euros, while the export of Made in Italy stood at over 380 billion euros, more than two thirds of the total value of Italian exports in the year indicated.
Almost 91% of citizens defines the products Made in Italy as an expression of Italian pride and, with reference to our food, 94% of Italians are convinced that it is one of the main ambassadors of Italianness in the world. 84.9% of Italians are convinced that it is necessary to raise barriers to goods arriving from countries with inadequate health, social and safety rules compared to those imposed on EU companies.
“The food sector is the country’s leading industry. This year it achieved a record result – almost 200 billion in turnover and 53 billion in exports – and in 10 years it has doubled exports. Truly extraordinary results, but above all, it is confirmed the great trust of the Italian population towards the food industry, with 9 out of 10 Italians showing that they have faith in what they do for the country”, he explained Paolo Mascarino, President of federalmentare.
“It’s time to change the direction of European industrial and economic policy. We must move from the Europe of consumers, which develops consumption achieved in other continents, even in violation of the social and environmental standards of us Europeans, to the Europe of
producers, which encourages and supports European businesses and work”, underlined the Minister of Business and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso.
“Europe must take up the challenge – continued Urso – and following the teaching of the United States, aim decisively at an assertive industrial policy, supported by a common financial policy and protected by a commercial policy that protects business and work European Union by those who produce products in violation of standards, taking advantage of the good will of us Europeans”.
Remembering the “impetuous” growth in exports food, the Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida explained that we must “be aware of how much we are worth, out of pride, and above all because it allows us to invest in ourselveson this great nation which over time has accumulated knowledge, which has great potential to be used and exploited, with all our areas of production and transformation which are considered excellence in terms of quality”.
“The only fear for this sector is that in the long term it will not have a generational change and it is for this reason that we must also invest in generational turnover, ensuring that young people carry on production, because otherwise our potential, our added value, risks being lost, the internal areas become depopulated and many will not continue willingly the businesses that their grandparents or parents left them,” he said Mirco Carloni, President of the Chamber’s Agriculture Commission, recalling the recent approval of a law that aims to protect the agri-food sector.