‘Made In Italy’ food exports continue to rise: Coldiretti

Exports of ‘Made In Italy‘ food products grew by 19% in April 2024, twice that of exports from other sectors, despite international challenges, a new report from Coldiretti has found.

Coldiretti, which represents the Italian agricultural sector, examined Istat data on foreign trade for April 2024, compared to the same month in the previous year.

Major markets

The United States, the largest non-EU market for Italian food, saw a 29% increase in purchases. Significant growth was also observed in Great Britain (17%) and Germany (15%).

The French market, a longstanding key destination for Italian agri-food products, recorded a 9% increase. Other notable markets include China, with a 17% increase, and Russia, with a 40% surge.

Over the first four months of 2024, total agri-food exports reached €22.6 billion, resulting in a positive trade balance compared.

This trend suggests that the record value of €64 billion set in 2023 could be surpassed, Coldiretti said.

Commercial barriers

To sustain this growth, Coldiretti emphasised the need to remove commercial barriers and address Italy’s infrastructural challenges. Improving connections between the southern and northern regions, as well as with international markets via maritime and high-speed rail networks, is crucial. This includes developing a network of hubs consisting of airports, trains, and cargo facilities.

Coldiretti aims to increase the annual value of agri-food exports from Italy to €100 billion by 2030.

With one and a half million members, Coldiretti is the main organisation of Italian agricultural entrepreneurs at both national and European levels. Its presence is widespread across Italy, with 20 regional federations, 95 inter-provincial and provincial federations, 869 area offices, and 3,576 municipal sections.