While Italian cheeses set a “historic” record on international markets, the cooperation system is launching a promotion campaign to consolidate those results and try to put a stop to Italian sounding. Coldiretti, based on Istat data for the first quarter, highlights a 7.5% growth in exports, also driven by the reopening of restaurants at the international level, which in value exceeds one billion euros. About 2/3 of exports are directed within the European Union where there was an increase of 8.8% while the United States is the main outlet market outside the EU borders with a jump of 12%. A result favored by the entry into force on 11 March 2021 of the agreement between the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the US President Joe Biden which eliminated the additional duties of 25% on exports to the USA of Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, Gorgonzola, Asiago, Fontina, Provolone.
Are you all right then? A brake on our exports comes from Italian sounding, that is local products that use a brand that evokes Italy but without any link with our country, damaging the made in Italy. To try to counter this phenomenon, the cooperative system of the dairy sector belonging to Confcooperative has launched a communication campaign co-financed by the European Commission. The campaign’s objective is to enhance the dairy sector, its production culture and the high standards in terms of quality, safety and animal welfare that distinguish the sector. Three-year activities are scheduled to take place in Italy and Germany. Conceived mainly for a young audience, it sounds like an invitation to inquire and reflect (think) in order to make intelligent consumption choices (smart), giving preference to European products such as cow’s milk, and derivatives, which is presented as a distinctive element , which is well suited to the new generations. “Dairy is a production of absolute excellence that the whole world envies us – comments Maurizio Gardini, president of Confcooperative – and we are proud as a cooperative system to have supported and promoted this important communication initiative”. For Gardini “cooperation plays an absolute leading role in the national dairy supply chain: in Italy there are 600 cooperatives that transform 62% of the national raw material and generate a turnover that exceeds 7 billion euros, equal to 43% of all the economic value of the sector and employ over 13 thousand employees ». About 17,000 stalls belong to the cooperatives, from which over 62% of the national raw material is collected, or about 7.5 million tons of milk. Strong leadership also in the main dairy PDOs, which is equal to 70% in Parmigiano Reggiano, 63% in Grana Padano, 65% in Asiago.