The compass of agribusiness points north. Nordic countries will be among the stars at the next edition of TUTTOFOOD, both among buyers and professional visitors and for the exhibitors' proposals, thanks to the collective stand Eat Nordic which includes Denmark, Finland and Norway.

According to the Economic Observatory of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in 2020 Italy exported food products to Norway of about 144.5 million euros and imported 4.5 million, so with a surplus of about 140 million for our country. Even in agricultural and fishing products the balance is clearly in favour of our country, with over 57 million exports in 2020 against an average of about 1.5 million per year of imports. Particularly in wine, Italy holds a 35% market share and is the absolute leader in the red wine sector. Norway, on the other hand, exports mainly fish products to Italy.

"We are excited to be back at TUTTOFOOD - comments Gunvar Lehnard Wie, new director for Italy of the Norwegian Food Council -. Italy is one of the main markets for our fish exports and there is a historical relationship between our two countries: Norwegian fishermen were trading with Venice in the Middle Ages! For us, the presence of buyers from other countries is also very important, because each market focuses on different types of product, for example cod in Italy and Portugal or sushi fish in Japan, and this internationality allows us to enhance our entire offer. Having a background as a chef, I also find the combination with HostMilano and the presence of show-cooking events at the event very interesting".

As far as Denmark is concerned, again according to 2020 data from the Observatory, Italian exports of food products amounted to 322 million euros, compared to imports of about 570 million, while in agriculture and fishing Italy sells 96 million products to the Danes and buys 175 million, therefore with a surplus in favour of the Scandinavians in both sectors. The food industry is one of the main items of Danish exports to Italy, while the import market pays particular attention to sustainable and ethical products.

"The secret of this success is the 'Danish model '," say the Danish Food Council , " which has transformed Denmark into an internationally recognised food nation that provides quality products with high safety standards. In particular, the excellent reputation of organic products stands out, based on the respect for the environment and animal welfare that consumers demand today".

In 2020, Italian trade with Finland amounted to 101 million euros in food exports and 22 million euros in imports, and agricultural and fishery products amounted to 26 million euros in exports and 15 million euros in imports. With Sweden, finally, the exchange saw Italy export food products for 429 million and import 119.5 million in 2020, while in agricultural and fishing products Italian exports are equal to over 98 million and imports to over 235 million, with a net surplus for the Scandinavian country.