EXPORT: A FUNDAMENTAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ITALIAN ORGANICS
Italian organic businesses have a great opportunity in exports, although there are challenges to overcome in order to fully realize the potential of this sector. Italy is, in fact, a European leader in organic production volumes and stands out for its significant and diversified processing chain.
This success can be attributed to the appreciation of Italian-made food products in international markets, where there is a greater tendency to recognize a price difference for quality and genuine products such as organic ones.
GROWING NUMBERS
The emerging data are encouraging and suggest good opportunities in foreign markets for Italian companies. Italian organic exports are worth over 3.6 billion euros (Source: ITA.BIO), with exponential growth over the long term: sales have increased by 8% compared to 2022 and have risen by 203% compared to 2012. The products that mainly characterize this segment are food items, which, with a value of over 2.9 billion euros, constitute 81%. The remaining 19% is made up of wine.
Organic exports account for 6% of total agri-food exports (which amounted to 62 billion euros in 2023, up 5%), demonstrating stronger year-on-year growth compared to the overall sector.
In addition to sales, another positive aspect for exports is the per capita spending data, which is significantly higher in several foreign countries than in Italy, where it is around 62 euros per year. The countries with the highest per capita spending in Europe are:
- Switzerland (437 euros);
- Denmark (365 euros);
- Austria (274 euros).
Even the closest or similar markets, such as Germany (181 euros) and France (176 euros), remain distant. Germany and the Nordic countries were the most important destination markets for Italian organic products in 2022 and are also considered the most promising.
FRESH PRODUCTS LEAD THE WAY
Among the most sought-after products in international markets are fresh products, with dairy derivatives playing a leading role. Organic is the first choice for fruit and vegetables for 45% of organic users (Source: ITA.BIO), while for meat and eggs, this preference is 34%, and for milk and derivatives, it is 33%. 31% of families with children preferentially choose organic products when buying baby food.
These figures apply to organic products in general, regardless of origin, but Italian products benefit from the overall favor encountered by Italian-made products worldwide. In the Nordic countries, 65% of citizens purchased at least one Italian-made organic product in 2022.
