Agri-food
Italy's agri-food sector, a strategic industry that is inherently resilient, exerts significant influence across Europe and worldwide. It stands out for its strong performance and robust competitiveness, even amid the uncertainty created by the combined effects of geopolitical tensions and extreme weather events.
Source: Ismea, Rapporto sull'agroalimentare italiano 2025 (Report on the Italian agri-food sector 2025)
The flagship of Italian production
"Made in Italy" agri-food products are the result of an integrated system in which natural resources, production practices, culture, and regulation work together in a coordinated way. The country's diverse landscapes and climates have fostered the development of distinctive agricultural products.
The regulatory framework, at both the European and national levels—including GI certifications, the CAP, and rural development programs—has created a stable and supportive environment, providing tools to protect and promote these products while ensuring high quality standards. In 2026, Italy ranked first in Europe for the number of PDO, PGI, and TSG agri-food products, with 897 recognized designations (331 food products and 566 wines and spirits).
The primary sector employs 986,567 workers, up +1.1% compared to the previous year, while the food and beverage industry employs 504,278 workers, up +2.5%. In the first eleven months of 2025, Italian agri-food exports reached nearly €67 billion, up 5.0% year over year, compared with 3.1% growth in Italy's total exports.Forecasts suggest a year-end figure of around €73 billion, setting a new record and consolidating the growth trend of recent years.
Sources: Fondazione Qualivita, Osservatorio Italia 2026 (Italy Observatory 2026); Chamber of Commerce of the Marche, Open Data Explorer - Demografia delle Imprese in Italia (Imprese attive, Quote, Settore A) (Open Data Explorer - Demography of businesses in Italy (active businesses, shares, Sector A)), 12/31/2025;
ISMEA, ,AgriMercati ISMEA, III trimestre 2025: crescono il valore dell'agroalimentare italiano e l'export, con un nuovo record verso i 73 miliardi (ISMEA AgriMarkets, third quarter 2025: the value of the Italian agri-food sector and exports continue to grow, reaching a new record of nearly €73 billion).
Main subsectors
The Italian agri-food sector is divided into a rich variety of specializations, each an expression of regional identity and Italian taste. From the cereals and derivatives sector to the dairy sector; from typical meats and cured meats to cocoa-based confectionery products, from coffee to extra-virgin olive oil, the symbol of the Mediterranean diet. These are complemented by the fruit and vegetable sector, wine, and the rapidly growing organic sector.
Source: Istat, Nomenclatura combinata (NC8) (quantità e valore) dati annuali e mensili (Combined Nomenclature (CN8) (quantity and value), annual and monthly data).
11.78
€ BILLION
Cereals and their derivatives
Meat and cured meats
Extra-virgin olive oil
Wines
Dairy products
Confectionery
Coffee
Organic
Excellence and innovation
Italy is establishing itself as a fertile laboratory for agri-food innovation, thanks to an active and synergistic network of universities, research centers, businesses, and public institutions.
The national patent ecosystem, supported by strong intellectual property protections, is at the heart of this growth, enabling solutions developed within the country to be scaled and protected globally.
Sources: CREA, Privative vegetali ("Plant variety rights"); Comieco, Innovazione – Eco-design e packaging sostenibile ("Innovation – Eco-design and sustainable packaging"); CREA, Ingegneria e trasformazioni agroalimentari ("Agricultural engineering and agri-food processing"); Circular Economy Network, 7° Rapporto sull’economia circolare in Italia – 2025 ("7th report on the circular economy in Italy – 2025").
Alongside traditional agri-food technologies, new areas of innovation are emerging:
Organic and biotech
Sustainable and digital packaging
Advanced food technologies
Circular economy
Regional impact
The quality of Italian products lies not only in their sensory excellence, but also in their deep-rooted identity and strong connection to their geographic origin.
Italian Law No. 205/2017 established the "Food Districts" framework, bringing together rural districts, quality agri-food districts, organic districts, and agri-food supply chain districts under a single designation. Its aim is to promote territorial development and cohesion, preserve the landscape, and foster innovative models through the involvement of all stakeholders across the supply chain and local communities.
According to the official register maintained by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, updated in November 2025, there are 227 officially recognized Food Districts.
Sources: Fondazione QualiVita, Osservatorio Italia, 2026 (Italy Observatory 2026); Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies (MASAF), Registro nazionale dei Distretti del Cibo ("National register of Food Districts"); Il Sole 24 Ore, Parma Food Valley: eccellenze alimentari da oltre 11 miliardi di fatturato ("Parma Food Valley: food excellence with revenues exceeding €11 billion"); Intesa Sanpaolo, Monitor dei distretti agroalimentari gennaio 2026 (Agrifood districts monitor, January 2026"); Regione Campania, L’industria alimentare in Campania: main data, traiettorie strategiche e opportunità ("The food industry in Campania: key data, strategic directions and opportunities").
Some of the most significant "food districts"
Food Valley of the province of Parma
The Province of Parma is home to one of Europe's most comprehensive agri-food supply chains, where tradition and innovation go hand in hand.
Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato wine district
The main hub of the Italian wine supply chain in terms of export value, the cradle of great wines, truffles, and legendary desserts.
Nocera and Gragnano agri-food district
One of Southern Italy's most important agri-food hubs, renowned for its pasta production and tomato processing industry.
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