BARI – The weight of the extended agri-food chain (which includes agriculture, food, distribution, intermediation and distribution) in the Italian economy continues to grow: it now generates 15.7 billion euros of added value, 33% more than in 2015, and 22% of Italian GDP.
According to data illustrated by The European House – Ambrosetti during the presentation of the 1st edition of the Forum “The Agrifood Puglia model for Made in Italy: evolutions and challenges, beyond national borders” organized in Bari on 26 June, the extended Apulian agri-food supply chain also, in 2022, significantly contributed to the social dimension of the supply chain as the 1st Italian region for employment (149,400 thousand employees) and for the number of active companies (270,00).
“In a context of permanent crisis that has been accompanying us since 2020 between a health emergency and international tensions – commented Valerio De Molli – Managing Partner & CEO, The European House – Ambrosetti – And the quality of Made in Italy agri-food production is the factor that has allowed the sector to continue to grow. In this context, the certified productions of Puglia, which account for 17.4% of the turnover, +6 pp vs. the Italian average, are a true symbol of quality”.
THERE IS GREAT DESIRE FOR PUGLIA IN THE WORLD: PUGLIAN AGRI-FOOD EXPORTS GROW BY 8.5% PER YEAR SINCE 2019.
At the end of 2023, Apulian agri-food exports (agriculture + processed products) reached the record value of 2.5 billion euros, on average a growth of 8.5% per year since 2019, a figure higher than the national average (+5, 1%) of +3.4 pp The sector of food and beverage contributes 1.5 billion euros, while the agricultural sector is worth a billion euros in exports. Numbers that today position agri-food as the first manufacturing sector in the Region for added value generated with over 3.9 billion, more than the production of the metallurgical sector (1.4) and textiles (0.9). “The desire for Puglia in the world – he added Benedetta Brioschi, Partner The European House-Ambrosetti – is such as to place the Region among the 5 most exposed to Italian Sounding, a phenomenon worth 2.8 billion euros for Puglia, 112% of exports”.
PUGLIA REGION OF RECORDS IN AGRI-FOOD.
Fruit and vegetables remain the most exported products from Puglia, accounting for 22.8% of the total, placing the Region in 2nd place in Italy and 1st for exports to Germany. Puglia confirms itself as the most cereal-producing Region in Italy, with over 1.2 million hectares of durum wheat cultivated. Despite the uncertainty due to fluctuating production costs and persistent drought (with cereal exports down -6.2% in 2023), this is a record that was followed by a great leap in the export of Puglian pasta in the world, considering the increase in pasta sales abroad of +42.6% in the first 9 months of 2022.
CERTIFIED SUPPLY CHAIN: THE AGRI-FOOD PRODUCTION OF THE PUGLIA REGION IS CHARACTERIZED BY A QUALITY LEVEL ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
As emerges from TEHA data, the production of certified wine accounts for 93% of the value of certifications in the Puglia Region, +37 pp compared to the national average. This is followed by certified production of oils and fats (4%) and cheeses (3%).
With 60 DOP IGP certified foods and wines, to which are added 4 national TSG and 2 regional IG spirit drinks, for a total of 66 geographical indications, Apulian certified production will reach a turnover of 678 million euros in 2022.
