Over 50 events, 50 Italian consortia, wineries, food & wine and lifestyle companies present, more than 500 local importers and distributors and over 100 certified Italian restaurants involved: these are the numbers of “Authentic Italian Table”, the event with which the 9 Italian Chambers of Commerce abroad (CCIE) of Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Mexico City bring to the table the excellence of the Italian culinary tradition and of the authentic 100% Made in Italy product to promote awareness among an audience of around 20.000 people including the specialized press, food and wine influencers, nutritionists and Italian food lovers.
The initiative is part of the "True Italian Taste" project, promoted and financed by Ministry of Economic Development and created by Assocamerestero, in collaboration with the 9 CCIE present in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The event that between April and May will involve North America with various activities dedicated to authentic Italian agri-food and the mix of innovation and respect for tradition at the basis of its success started right from Mexico City.
The NAFTA Area is the first reference for Made in Italy food & beverage outside Europe, with an export value equal to 4,8 billion euros in 2017 and a 14,2% share of total agri-food exports, head to head with that of Germany (14,9%). 2018 also opened in the sign of growth: +14,5% sales compared to January 2017.
Furthermore, the United States and Canada are among the top 10 destinations for PDO and PGI exports, with 12,4% of exports of certified products. Wine and other beverages account for about half of sales in these two countries (45,9% and 50,3% respectively) and 39,6% of those in Mexico. In addition to this primacy, among the best-selling products in North America we find oil (with a share of approximately 13,5% and 12%), followed by condiments and confectionery products and ready meals (13,1% and 12,0% .XNUMX%). The latter also record good results in Mexico: in fact, they make up over a quarter of Italian agri-food exports to the country.
Many themes at the center of the event: from education to the recognition and use of authentic Italian food through gourmet experiences on Italian cheeses, cured meats and wines in Miami and masterclasses for those who will go to "work" the Italian product in Mexico City and Toronto, with the Chamber also developing Canada-Italy exchange programs between culinary institutes; to tradition, with the cooking classes in Chicago, the culinary laboratories and workshops dedicated to pizza and its processing during the "A whole pizza Fest" in Los Angeles, the cooking shows in Montreal, the creation of an ad hoc recipe for pasta with PDO and PGI products made by certified Italian restaurants in Vancouver; up to innovation, both in terms of promotion - with the contest between food & wine expert bloggers in Houston - and applied to the food sector, with the Food Innovation event, organized in New York with companies and start-ups active in the “food of the future”.
"Italian Chambers abroad have always worked in contact with consumers and local business communities and this has allowed us, thanks to the support of the Ministry of Economic Development, to create a brand event that is more responsive to the needs of an evolving market" - he claims Gaetano Fausto Esposito, Secretary General of Assocamerestero. – “Consumers and foreign operators are increasingly demanding quality and sustainability, but also more innovative ways of consuming and understanding the product. This is why we have imagined an immersive experience for them, which allows them to experience first-hand what the authentic excellence of Italian agri-food is and how it can be applied to their markets. It is only by making its value perceived that it will be possible to curb a phenomenon such as that of Italian Sounding, which penalizes our exports with a turnover equal to approximately 40% of the turnover of the entire food industry”.
I dairy product are the products most affected by the Italian Sounding phenomenon in North America: the price reductions compared to the original product fluctuate in Chicago from -13% for fontina, to -38% for "parmesan", to -50% for mascarpone, still to -48% of Asiago. In some North American distribution chains peaks of -75% for provolone, -68% for gorgonzola are reached, up to -80% on the authentic product for fontina and pecorino on the Los Angeles market.
In addition to the North American market, the "Authentic Italian Table" will also bring Italian food to the main European and Asian countries, while in Italy the appointment with this and the other initiatives of the 100% Made in Italy agri-food promotion project it's at cibus, the largest Italian event in the sector to be held in Parma from 7 to 10 May.
