Italian food and farming exports are continuing to grow even in a difficult international context. According to Italian food producers’ association , exports from the sector are expected to total around €30.2 billion in 2016, up 4.1% compared to 2015. This is certainly a slower growth rate than 2015 when the food and farming-focused Expo 2015 world trade fair was held in Milan (sector exports rose 6.7% that year) but still “decisively encouraging” said Federalimentare President Luigi Scordamaglia.

“The slowdown is due to a series of factors, starting with the cooling off in global economies,” he said. “But above all it is due to the creeping protectionism that has reached record levels. In seven years we have had more than 3,500 protection measures in foreign markets, one every four days in the United States. The phenomenon has been underway for a while and subtracts 2-2.5% of potential value from our exports,” he said.