(Feb 17) – Last Wednesday in the United Kingdom started ‘Discover the Origin’, a project to develop high-quality European products: Prosciutto di Parma, Burgundy wines, Porto, Parmigiano-Reggiano are among the protagonists of the project. The campaign, promoted by the European Union and Italy, France and Portugal, aims to improve knowledge of the PDO between consumers, distributors and food professionals, and make them more aware about the features that make these products so unique and appreciated throughout the world, for their flavors, histories and traditions. ‘Discover the Origin’ was officially presented to the press on February 15th in London and on February 16th in Dublin. This new edition has a program full of activities and initiatives that will see Prosciutto di Parma as protagonist in Great Britain and Ireland in 2012. In particular, there will be events open to the public and 15 training seminars in different distribution channels – restaurants, stores, importers and distributors – in 5 British cities in Great Britain and 4 Irish cities. These master classes will provide the knowledge and skills about Prosciutto di Parma, that will enable participants to guide their clients and consumers thanks to an increased knowledge of the product. (Red)
THE ITALIAN AGRIBUSINNESS GROWS
In 2010, as well as in 2009, there were no significant changes in the geographical distribution of Italian agri-food exports. The growth involves all major markets. To EU-27, as in 2009, a portion of sales equal to 70%, with an increase of more than twelve percentage points. The exports’ growth to North America is significant (+13.6%) and is exclusively attributable to the industrial component. This causes a stability of the total weight of the North American on Italian agri-food exports equal to 10%. The data, contained in the book “Il commercio con l’estero dei prodotti agroalimentari italiani” (The foreign trade of Italian agri-food products) were presented at the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies together with the “Yearbook of Italian agriculture”. A great flow is destined to Asia (around +20%), which in 2009 had been the only area to increase imports of Italian agri-food products. The Asian market confirms to be a booming export market for Italian food and this trend takes on greater significance considering that all major export products for this area belong to the ‘Made in Italy’.
