The country’s leading food manufacturer: turnover of 179 billion euros

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The food industry is now the first manufacturing in the country. The numbers of the first Federalimentare-Censis report, which was presented yesterday in Rome at the Chamber of Deputies, say so. With 179 billion euros in annual turnover, 60,000 companies, 464,000 employees and over 50 billion in exports in value in a year, the sector is also in second place in Italy in terms of number of companies, workers and value of exports.

For Made in Italy at the table, this first place is an important milestone, which crowns a path of uninterrupted growth that has lasted for years. In the last decade alone, the sector has achieved an increase in turnover of 24.7%, which also brought with it an increase in employment of 12.2%. The real boom, which pushed up the results of the sector, however, was that of exports, which in the last ten years have exploded by more than 60%.

Broadening the view from industry to the entire supply chain, which goes from field to table, the turnover of the Italian agri-food sector reached 607 billion euros, equal to 31.8% of the national GDP. «The first Federalimentare-Censis report certifies that the Italian food industry makes a substantial contribution to the country, both in terms of economic and social value – said the president of Federalimentare, Paolo Mascarino – the sector is one of the most dynamic and robust in the industry and is aware that it represents a national heritage in the production of quality, unique foods with recognizable brands».

For its part, the government promises to increase attention to such a profitable sector: “We need to increasingly understand the potential linked to Italian products – said the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Francesco Lollobrigida yesterday, commenting on the report – the data that has been released photograph a growth in the sector in which the Government continues to invest. Quality is at the center of our debate and we do it by paying attention to the context, but also by encouraging exports and promoting the country’s companies abroad».

According to the analysis conducted by Censis, despite the crisis and inflation that shows no signs of abating, 63.4% of Italians would continue to make food purchasing choices that pay no attention to the price, but only to the quality of the products brought to the table. And yet, that of the price increases in the cart remains an alarm on the government table. Just yesterday the Rapid Alert Commission met for the first time, convened by the Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso after the complaints of consumer associations for the 17.5% increase in pasta prices in one year. “We are putting in place all possible measures to avoid possible speculation, especially for large-scale consumer products whose prices are monitored by Mimit – Minister Urso said yesterday in a message sent during the presentation of the Federalimentare-Censis report – we do not want cause controversy but it is necessary to be transparent, for the benefit of consumers and to safeguard the high social reputation that food companies have acquired over time. We want to support you with measures that can strengthen your investments.” Among the provisions mentioned by Urso there are also the development contracts, “which have absorbed 25% of the total resources dedicated to the instrument”, whose branch for the sector “could be reopened by July”.