Eating out in the future will include well-being, sociability combined with sustainability

One of the fundamental aspects of the Italian lifestyle, according to 92.9% of Italians, is being together, especially to drink and eat. This opinion cuts across all social groups and territories. When Italians go out in the evening, 47.3% go to public places, and especially those in the Movida areas: 8.8% (more than 23% of young people) almost always; 10% at least once every four days, and 28.5% always. 40.3% of Italians would like to go out more in the evening, because they believe it would have a positive effect on their quality of life. These are the leading points revealed in the “Italgrob-Censis Report: the new challenges for HORECA distribution and out-of-home”, 2023 edition (number 2), presented in Rimini, during the “HORECA Conference”, organized by Italgrob - Italian Federation of Horeca (hotels, restaurants, catering) Distributors. The report revealed that when Italians have been paying more and more attention to environmental sustainability, the fight against global warming and spending when they eat out-of-home. Consequently, food consumption has also been remodeled, according to these new values. 91.1% of people greatly appreciate businesses that transparently communicate ecological practices, such as, for instance, waste reduction, waste separation, and the use of organic or kilometer zero (local) products. One of the major challenges for professionals in the out-of-home and HORECA distribution sector is to be recognized green, not by words but through deeds, the report revealed. Anti-waste practices are especially appreciated by Italians, taking into consideration that more than 57% of young people take home food left over from meals at restaurants. “Sustainability will characterize economic activities and collective life more and more, but environmental protection will have to go hand in hand with a higher quality of life for people”, Massimiliano Valerii, General Manager of Censis, commented, “otherwise, it will not win social consensus. The eating out supply chain, and within it, HORECA Distribution, will make a significant contribution to this transition, since they are promoting widespread social relations, which is essential to upgrade the quality of life that Italians appreciate very much”.
According to Federico Freni, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, “the Report offers us a clear picture of the primary importance of the distribution sector in the HORECA channel for the country, from an economic and a social point of view, as there are 3.800 companies, over 60.000 employees and a turnover of 17 billion euros. In view of an especially complicated economic situation, due to the negative effects of high energy prices and inflation, the circuit of out-of-home consumption has again demonstrated its resiliency. In this rapidly evolving scenario, the government’s duty has to be to support businesses. And, in this context, the decision to allocate a significant part of the resources proposed in the financial package to combat high bills, which threatened to bring the country's productive fabric to its knees, is clear to everyone. Second, it is necessary to intervene by implementing an overall tax reform aimed at favoring greater simplification and reducing the tax burden, which are both necessary to inject liquidity into the real economy”.
“HORECA is a strong industry that generates a significant economic volume on the markets. The sector”, added Maria Cristina Caretta, vice president of the Agriculture Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, delegate to the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests, Francesco Lollobrigida, “has adapted to the profound changes in consumption, by showing its sustainability to smaller businesses. By establishing the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, we wanted to communicate a clear message, placing the protection of “Made in Italy” agri-food excellence at the center, and opening dialogue channels with all of the HORECA sector companies, to give concrete answers. The Italgrob-Censis Report has provided us with a clear picture of our daily lives; in other words, conviviality and being together. These two aspects accompany the diffusion of quality agri-food products. The new challenges are to relaunch, to restart and the ability to confront each other in Europe. We are certain that through dialogue and the continuous involvement of the companies operating within the supply chain, we will be able to defend our excellence and our lifestyles”.
“The HORECA market is the context in which consumption trends are created. It is the context in which human relationships have great value. Furthermore, 92.9% of Italians say that drinking and eating away from home is an indispensable part of their lifestyle, and contributes to one’s psycho-physical well-being. Italgrob has taken on the challenge”, Antonio Portaccio, president of Italgrob, said, “to make the distributor a leading actor, and not a "logistical" appearance at the service of the new HORECA ecosystem. The challenge needs to be carried forward not only through political and union activities, in which our organization has been engaged since its foundation in 1992, to protect the entire category of HORECA distributors. We have also taken on the “cultural” commitment that functions towards the sector’s growth, and our collaboration with Censis as well as creating the report, goes precisely in this direction”.