€9 billion and over €20 billion, nearly 300 consortia, and 200,000 businesses : these are significant numbers, which clearly underscore the positive outlook for the Italian PDO economy, supporting the intrinsic value of our quality producers. The results are truly coming in, loud and clear, demonstrating the effectiveness of a sector that leverages synergy and collaboration to strengthen the entire country, with a strategy that protects, above all, the consumer.
A record-breaking 2022 for an increasingly robust system fueled by 296 protection consortia and 196,000 supply chain companies: this is what emerges from the latest Ismea-Qualivita Report, the main tool describing data trends and analyzing consumption of PDO and PGI products on the Italian market.
The report is edited by ISMEA – Institute of Services for the Agricultural Food Market – which is the public economic research body supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture, combining the specific expertise in the world of Geographical Indications with the world of the Qualivita Observatory , which in turn collaborates closely with the Italian Association of Geographical Indication Consortia ” Origin Italia”.
The 2022 data shows a turnover for Italian Geographical Indications of 20 million euros , a 6.4% annual increase . The most significant growth occurred in the PDO and PGI food sector, with a turnover of nearly €9 billion and a 9% increase. A significant portion of this leap forward is due to the growth in exports (+8%), and it’s important to note that a full 19% of the Italian agri-food sector’s foreign turnover is represented by PDO or PGI products.
The importance of the PDO Economy is also evident from the employment data , which show almost 500 thousand workers in agricultural production and over 300 thousand in the industrial phase.
What's happening in Liguria, specifically?
Liguria is among the Italian regions with the lowest number of Geographical Indication products, which makes its products even more valuable and, above all, offers significant growth potential . The Ligurian PDO economy includes 1,969 producers of 17 local products, including 5 in the food sector ( and 12 in wine), with a value of €25 million .
Another strong point: the reform of the PDO and PGI
To this important economic snapshot of the national and regional situation, another crucial element must be added that will materialize in 2024: the reform of the PDO and PGI Regulation recently approved by the European Parliament, aimed at strengthening the role of our protected cultural and gastronomic riches of the PDO-PGI as an authentic economic heritage of the territories.
The reform of the Regulation will increase the dissemination of geographical indications in the Union, providing a higher level of protection , especially online, while raising the bar on quality and standards. All operators in the PDO and PGI supply chains will have an increasingly strategic role in territorial governance, consumer relations, and the development of scientific research.
The President of the Genoese Basil DOP Consortium:
"We should follow the virtuous example of food companies"
The President of the Genoese Basil DOP Consortium, Mario Anfossi, emphasizes the fact that Genoese Basil DOP is the only fresh product with the certification mark in the entire region, and emphasizes how crucial it has now become to link Genoese Basil DOP to the prestige of pesto and therefore to the world of food processing.
In fact, companies now recognize Genoese Basil DOP as a quality ingredient for their finished products, the direction we must continue to follow is this: “We should follow the virtuous example of food companies, which recognize the value and quality of Genoese Basil DOP, so that they can also act as a driving force for the retail and restaurant sectors, building virtuous synergies. This way, consumers will also benefit more, increasing the ingredient’s recognition and importance. ”
Prospects and future
What if all this growth made the achievements of top-of-the-line products like Grana Padano PDO, Prosciutto di Parma PDO, or Parmigiano Reggiano PDO a little less far-fetched? In this context, the awareness, territorial branding, and value surrounding Basilico Genovese PDO can only grow in importance: let’s stay connected; the PDO is all of us, together.
