Italy’s food and agricultural exports exceeded €72 billion in 2025. At SIAL Paris 2026, around 700 Italian exhibitors sought new commercial opportunities for the sector, meeting importers, distributors and buyers during five days at Paris Nord Villepinte.
The exhibition, which closed on Wednesday, October 21, took place in one of Italy’s most important export markets. France is the second-largest destination for Italian food and agricultural products after Germany. According to data published by the Italian Embassy in Paris, French imports reached €6.84 billion in 2025, an increase of 4.78 percent. In the first six months of 2026, they rose 2.3 percent to €3.35 billion.
The embassy also reported that Italy ranked first at SIAL for exhibition space occupied. Its presence brought together large companies, smaller producers, consortia and regional delegations.
ICE, the Italian Trade Agency, organized a collective pavilion with 218 companies across approximately 3,000 square meters. Universal Marketing, headed by Donato Cinelli and the Italian representative for the SIAL network, coordinated another group of more than 200 companies, consortia and producer organizations across over 3,000 square meters, involving Sicily, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Lazio, Sardinia and Puglia.
For small businesses, these arrangements make participation more accessible by helping address costs and organizational demands. SIAL offers an opportunity to assess buyer interest and begin negotiations across several markets during a single event.
The official directory listed nearly 7,800 exhibitors. Organizers had projected approximately 8,000 exhibitors across 280,000 square meters and 295,000 trade visitors.
Speaking in Paris, ICE President Matteo Zoppas reiterated the target of €700 billion for Italy’s total exports. He also discussed the difficulties created by tariffs, conflicts and international instability, as well as “Italian sounding”: products made outside Italy that use Italian names or imagery. The issue gives producers another reason to make product origins and certifications clear to buyers.
Regional participation provided concrete examples of those distinctions. Molise presented wine, olive oil, cheeses and truffles, emphasizing certified products and micro and small enterprises. Calabria brought 39 food and beverage businesses, including producers of baked goods, ’nduja and citrus drinks. Sardinia promoted Pecorino Romano, Pecorino Sardo and Fiore Sardo, three PDO cheeses important to its dairy sector, whose producers also face the higher costs associated with island operations. Sicily, Lazio and Puglia contributed companies and consortia from their own supply chains.
Campania promoted TuttoPizza International with Comexposium and Universal Marketing. Demonstrations and tastings introduced buyers to Neapolitan pizza and its ingredients, from flour and tomatoes to mozzarella, fiordilatte and olive oil. Comexposium Group CFO Arnaud Boussemart told ilNewyorkese that the partnership connects pizza’s existing international recognition with SIAL’s commercial network.
The region also linked exports and tourism through the Approdo di Ulisse local action group. Its “Nuove rotte per i nuovi mercati” project presented products from the Sorrento Peninsula, Amalfi Coast and Capri together with restaurants and cultural attractions.
Meanwhile, SIAL Innovation marked its 30th anniversary by selecting 775 innovations from more than 2,750 submissions. For Italy’s exporters, the event combined the search for customers with a closer look at changing products, packaging and consumption habits.