Organic, the role of organic export

June 2022

A 2,907 mln euro turnover, almost tripled compared to 2009.

Italy is the second-largest exporter of organic products in the world. Second only to the United States, slightly higher with its 2,981 mln euros, Italy is well above Spain, the third country on the podium, stopped at 890 mln euros. There are 826 mln euros in organic products exported by France and 806 mln euros by China.

Sixty-nine percent of the volumes of organic exports made in Italy are attributable to PDO/PGI products, and 42 percent of exports in this area are organic wines.

According to companies, among the factors contributing to this success are the quality of organic products (69%); the general interest of foreign consumers in Made in Italy (44%); and the high average per capita spending on organic products abroad (31%).

This is reported by the latest Nomisma survey, carried out as part of the ITA.BIO project of 2021 for ICE-Agenzia and which also highlights the main obstacles to exports in the agri-food sector reported by operators namely: the costs to promote the product/farm in the foreign country (41%); price competition from local companies (35%); logistics and the lack of a system-Country that accompanies organic made in Italy (both at 32%).

Nevertheless, among the company contact persons interviewed, 76% predicted an increase in foreign sales by 2022, compared to 51% for the domestic market.