Eating Organic means eating Italian

Rome – (Ign) – In the eyes of tourists Italy is history, landscape, holidays, the sea and, last but not least, good food. In fact, certainly one of the most famous aspects of the country abroad is the quality of its food products. In particular today, as we increasingly hear talk of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and health foods, Italian organic food is increasingly becoming a source of pride for the national production system. It is also and above all for this reason that in recent years the Italian presence at trade fairs in the sector – extremely important showcases in this field – has increased to the point that it occupies a leading place in terms of numbers of participating companies. It is no coincidence – according to Coldiretti data – that in 2005 Italy was the third largest producer of organic food in the world, and absolute leader in Europe, thanks to the number of companies operating in the sector (a third of the European market).
In Italy, according to data from SINAB (the National System of Information on Organic Farming) and AIAB (the National Association for Organic Farming – www.aiab.it), in 2005 the companies dedicated to organic products numbered 44,733, a number in clear growth on the previous year, and realised a turnover – on the domestic market – of €1.7bn, added to which there was approximately €700m deriving from exports. The €2.4bn’s worth of business in 2005 alone was divided as follows: 22% tinned products, 21% milk and derivates, 18% fruit and vegetables, 13% bread, pasta and rice, 12% beverages, 9% meat and eggs and 5% diet products. A complex sector, then, which touches all the regions of Italy, but which sees the South ahead in terms of the number of producers: in 2005 the areas with the most producers were Sicily (7936), Puglia (5715) and Basilicata (4885). But if we look at the percentage increase in the number of companies compared to the previous year, the order is reversed: it is in fact Basilicata which shows the highest trend, with an increase in 2005 of 142.5% on 2004, compared to +81.1% in Puglia and +24.6% in Sicily. But while this holds true for production, product sales overturn this territorial leadership: it is the regions of the north and north-east of the country, in fact, which are showing the greatest turnover increases in the sale of organic products, despite the fact that the number of companies in these regions is lower.
Also thanks to incentives aimed at financing the exponential growth of an essential sector and of organic farming which in recent years has become so important to consumers, Italy today finds itself assuming a significant place in the world market of organic food products. Nor should we forget that the companies producing organic foods are very often micro-businesses, family-run farm holiday centres, whose work – despite their size – has a significant impact on the market, especially the foreign market. Gastronomic tourism (a phenomenon which gives a significant boost to national exports of organic food products) is in fact the main showcase of Italian organic food in the world: in the first months of 2006, according to Coldiretti figures, 68% of foreign tourists decided to purchase exclusively Italian food products as souvenirs.
This is a sector in full expansion, which fears no competition. The excellent figures do nothing but demonstrate a world leadership which shows no sign of flagging, also thanks to the many bilateral relationships that the Italian businesses have managed to build with foreign partners and with the buyers on international markets. This then, is the pride of Italian products in the world: proof is the fact that – according to Coldiretti – 68% of consumers would spend more on organic food products if the labels showed they were produced in Italy. As if to say: “Eat organic food if it’s Italian, otherwise don’t eat it at all”.