2023 will not be an easy year for the agro-industry which relies on virtuous and above all eco-sustainable processes. The spending forecasts of Italian households are downwards, conditioned by three main factors: inflation, environmental emergency and climate crisis. La search rMade by Nomisma for Agronetwork “Sustainability for Italians in the light of new scenarios” contains massive data. 85% of those interviewed in the year that has just begun will save on purchases. 8 million of them will spend less on food and drink in the coming months. The cost of living and not only, according to this forecast, they will fundamentally weaken the green value chain in agriculture. in 2022 export of Italian products went well, but 2023 with the persistence of the war in Ukraine and the race to the top of energy tariffs scares Italian consumers so much. The measures to support families, both by the Draghi and Meloni governments, have broken down the mass of buyers. On the one hand there are families with income support, on the other those who do not benefit from any aid and who are the most sensitive to environmental issues.
The agro-industry winning sector of the economy
According to the research, in the next behaviors of Italians, the increase in bills and the prices of food products are in first place. Thus environmental protection is in third position after the items "individual health and well-being" and "interpersonal relationships". Three decisive aspects for the national economy. Agronetwork, made up of Confagricoltura, Nomisma and LUISS University, deals with the promotion of agro-industry and carries out assessments on the ability of Italian companies to challenge the international scenario. “In the last 10 years, Italian agricultural and industrial companies have invested a lot (between 6% and 21%) to grow sustainability” he explains Daniele Rossi, general secretary of Agronetwork, “and this represents the challenge on which the competitiveness of the future will be at stake, as demonstrated by Nomisma's research”. Consumers are demanding growing environmental responsibility from industry operators and the sustainability is destined to soon become a prerequisite, as is food security already. It is the system that will gradually have to reach a new balance in which respect for nature and the ecosystem must become a constant. For this purpose it is interesting to read what consumers mean by sustainable product. More than half of the interviewees maintain that it must be made with respect for the environment and with specific attention to the impact of the packaging. 35% must be produced locally, the origin of the raw materials must be indicated, the manufacturing company must have respect for workers' rights, finally, it must be possible to trace
to the traceability of the supply chain.
The least expense will be in groceries.
Nomisma who conducted the research validates these opinions which are representative of a country halfway in the regeneration of its primary sector. "Although inflation is currently the main concern of Italian families, the top-3 of the issues that have the greatest impact on the state of mind of Italians include the environmental emergency and the climate crisis" he says Emanuele DiFaustino, responsible for Industry, Retail and Services of Nomisma. Environmental sustainability directly influences the composition of the food shopping cart. As ? ” 31% of consumers declare that in the next 6 months they will increase purchases of food products with sustainable packaging, for example with recycled or recyclable material. 20% say they will increase purchases of food and drinks made with methods that respect the environment” adds Di Faustino. What happens on the pricing front, then? “Given the current situation, almost 2 out of 10 Italians will buy eco-friendly products only if in the presence of a discount or promotion”. The agro-industry trend does not promise to be exciting and, therefore, the actions in support of the sector - from whatever side they come from - must take into account the concerns of the Italians. Of all, however, without distinction of income or social status.
