A new partnership linking Rome and New York is seeking to strengthen the position of authentic Italian food in the United States while challenging the enormous market for products that merely appear Italian.
The initiative brings together Fondazione UniVerde and La Voce di New York, the Italian-English digital newspaper serving readers in the United States. The agreement was announced following a meeting in Rome between Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, president of Fondazione UniVerde, and Giampaolo Pioli, president of VNY Media Corp. and editor in chief of La Voce di New York.
Their collaboration will focus on informing American consumers, restaurant professionals, importers and distributors about the origin and quality of genuine Italian products. Planned activities include editorial projects, public events, awareness campaigns and stronger promotion of businesses that use traceable ingredients produced in Italy.
The problem extends far beyond outright counterfeiting. “Italian Sounding” products often use Italian names, flags, colors, images and geographical references even though they are manufactured elsewhere and have no direct connection to Italy. Cheeses, sauces, cured meats and other foods produced in places such as Wisconsin or California may be presented in packaging designed to suggest an Italian origin.
Estimates cited by Italian agricultural organizations and protection consortia place the worldwide value of fake or misleading Italian-style food at more than $140.4 billion. More than two-thirds of that parallel market is reportedly concentrated in North America. For every authentic Italian food product sold in the United States, estimates suggest that consumers purchase at least 2 imitations.
The partnership will therefore place particular emphasis on the European Union’s Protected Designation of Origin and Protected Geographical Indication systems, commonly identified by the Italian initials DOP and IGP. These certifications provide consumers with information about geographical origin, production methods, traceability and connections to local traditions.
The goal is not simply to explain the meaning of certification logos. Fondazione UniVerde and La Voce di New York intend to identify and promote a network of responsible chefs, restaurants, retailers, distributors and importers committed to selling authentic Italian ingredients. The resulting “map of authenticity” could help consumers, especially in New York and along the East Coast, locate businesses offering products whose origins can be verified.
New York was selected as the central American platform because of its influence on food, hospitality and consumer trends. Success there could increase awareness far beyond the city and provide greater visibility to Italian producers seeking access to the U.S. market.
Pecoraro Scanio, a former Italian minister of agriculture and promoter of the #NoFakeFood campaign, emphasized that protecting Made in Italy products also means defending farmers, jobs, biodiversity, regional territories and the credibility of Italian supply chains.
Pioli highlighted the role of accurate information in helping Americans understand what authenticity represents. Through articles, campaigns and events, the partners want to transform consumer education into an economic tool – rewarding legitimate producers while reducing the commercial appeal of misleading Italian-style products.
