The agrifood supply chain continues to be one of Italy's spearheads. Not only for the globally recognized quality of its products, but also as a contribution to the national economy. In 2022, in fact, the sector reached a turnover of 251.1 billion euros (a 31 percent growth compared to 2015), 176.7 of which came from food & beverage products and 74.4 from the agricultural sector. These are some figures from a research conducted by The European House-Ambrosetti. According to the report, if the food & beverage sector is extended to include distribution, HoReCa and brokerage, the sector reaches total revenues of 586.9 billion euros. And overall, the supply chain, which employs 3.7 million workers, generates 334.5 billion euros of added value - equal to 19 percent of Italy's GDP, a growth of 2.6% compared to 2021 -, divided between agribusiness in the strict sense (66.6 billion euros), intermediation, distribution and HoReCa (67.5 billion euros) and supply chains activated upstream and downstream (200.4 billion euros). Italy is the first country in the European Union for certified products, 890 in total, including 326 from the food world, worth 8.9 billion euros, and 564 from the wine sector, worth more than 11 billion euros. In 2023, Italian agri-food exports reached a record 62.2 billion euros, a value that is part of an average annual growth trend of +6.4 percent over the 2010-2023 period. Italy also holds world leadership in several product categories: pasta, with a 45% market share, bitters and spirits (41.5%), tomato puree (27%), chestnuts (23%) and processed vegetables (20%).
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