On Saturday at SIAL Paris 2024, Italy was represented at the official inauguration ceremony by the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry Hon. Francesco Lollobrigida, ITA President Matteo Zoppas, and the Ambassador of Italy to France, H.E. Emanuela d’Alessandro. They then went on to greet the Italian companies participating in the show.

At the inauguration of the Italian Pavilion in Hall 1, Luigi Ferrelli, Director of the Paris Office of ITA – Italian Trade Agency, introduced the Italian Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, who gave a speech praising France and Italy’s mutual “defence of quality” and striving for economic growth. Hon. Francesco Lollobrigina highlighted his pride in Italian businesses and entrepreneurs, stating that it is the government’s duty “not only to thank them, but to accompany them.” He thanked the representatives of the different Italian regions under the “inscription that represents Made in Italy”, underlining the variety that makes Italian products so unique. He ended on a powerful note, stating that Italy “is capable of being avant-garde, is capable of setting an example. Italy has done this in its history for a long time, and it must become aware of the value of this kind of purpose again.”

ITA President Matteo Zoppas went on to emphasise the importance of exports to the Italian economy, pointing to the “17% increase that the agri-food industry managed to achieve in August when the rest of Made in Italy fell by 7 percentage points” and that “625 billion of national exports in 2023 means one third of GDP.”

Italy has an impressive presence at SIAL Paris this year, with over 700 exhibitors, including 227 companies under the ITA banner. They are presenting visitors with a wide range of products emblematic of the quality and excellence of Italian cuisine around the world, which is currently a candidate for UNESCO intangible heritage.

HALL 1 – STANDS F 013 / F 171
HALL 5B – STAND R 043
HALL 7 – STAND F 135

Photo: © Tommaso Bonaventura