Jan.16 – Italian food & wine are loved abroad, and have become the central point of view of the country’s recovery. Despite the decline in exports in November, both for fresh (-5.6%) and processed (-0.7%) products, Italian food can still toast to another year of successes. According to the Italian Farmers Confederation, in the first eleven months of 2013, sales in foreign markets grew for both agricultural products (+2.5%) and food (+5.2%), in contrast to the national average (-0.5%). The sector thus continues to act as a “pull-factor” for Italy’s economy, balancing the collapse of domestic demand. Agri-food exports amounted to more than €33 billion, the highest figure ever recorded, surpassing the historical record achieved in 2012 of €31 billion.
