The Mediterranean Diet Export is Booming
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This is tantamount to an overseas boom for the Mediterranean diet, which has produced a record 20% increase in value of oil exports, 6% for wine, 3.2% for pasta, 5.8% for vegetables, 3.2% for fruit and 1.4% for tomato puree. The feat is even more remarkable as it comes after years of stagnant market.
In reporting these data Coldiretti pointed out that these results have been achieved thanks to the good reputation of Italian products worldwide, the increasing awareness that we are what we eat, or of the effects of the diet on one's health, and, as strange as it might seems, thanks also to the world cup soccer victory. Overall, the exports of Italian food and wine rose by 6% in the first nine months of 2006.
According to Coldiretti, should this trend be confirmed also in the last quarter of the year just ended, "Italian food and wine exports could reach the record figure of €20 billion. This would help reduce the trade deficit in the rest of the sector which is, however, particularly high."
Germany is the most appreciative of Italian food products, followed by France, the United States and Spain.
The favorite Italian product abroad is wine, with an export value estimated to be €3 billion in 2006. However, large gains in the market share has also been made by pasta, cheeses, oil, cold cuts and preserved vegetables. All together these products have contributed to reinforcing the appreciation of the Italian gastronomy around the world.
Despite the fact that the absolute value of imports still fairly low, China resulted one of the most important new markets. The country's food and beverage imports have increased 129% and their economy registered the highest 2006 imports rise among Asian countries, with wine up 117%, oils and other fats up 148%, cheese up 1,077%, and pasta up 49%. Based on ISTAT (Istituto Italiano di Statistica, or Italian Institute of Statistics) figures for the first seven months of the year, Coldiretti estimates that in 2006 the Italian food and wine exports to China could amount to €50 million.
The holidays sales have been encouraging for typical Italian food and beverages, both in in Italy and abroad. As many as 100 million bottles of spumante were sold, with a record increase of 20% in exports value. Germany imported 18% more compared to the previous year, the USA 9.4%, Japan 62%, and France 30%, thus eroding market share to Champagne in its own homeland.
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