The Italian PDO economy worth €20.7 billion in 2024 (+3.5%). Wine sales stable at €11 billion

A jewel called the PDO Economy, worth €20.7 billion in production in 2024, confirming that Italian food and wine, certified by the designation, is a pillar of the Italian economy. A snapshot taken from the Ismea-Qualivita 2025 Report (edition no. 23), an analysis of the Italian PDO Economy on the economic and productive values of the PDO and PGI agri-food, wine, and, for the first time, spirits sectors, presented today in Rome in the presence of, among others, Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida, President of the Qualivita Foundation Cesare Mazzetti, and President of Ismea Livio Proietti.
According to the report, the sector will reach €20.7 billion in production value in 2024 (+3.5% year-on-year and +25% on 2020), contributing 19% to the total turnover of the national agri-food industry. For the fourth consecutive year, the food sector continues to grow, exceeding €9.6 billion with a +7.7% increase, while bottled wine remains stable at €11 billion. Excellent results were achieved in exports of PDO and PGI products, which reached €12.3 billion (+8.2%) in 2024 thanks to the “double record” of the food sector (exceeding €5 billion for the first time) and the wine sector (exceeding €7 billion for the first time). It must be said that a major contributor to this result is the double-digit growth of Grana Padano PDO (€2.1 billion, +23.3%) and Parmigiano Reggiano (€1.7 billion, +10.1%): two cheeses that are symbols of Italian excellence and in demand all over the world, which together account for almost a fifth of the Italian PDO economy.
The number of protection consortia authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture also grew during the year: 328 entities operating throughout Italy coordinate the work of 184,000 operators in the food, wine, and spirits sectors (175,358 producers and 31,724 processors, down 5.6% on 2023). However, INPS data on employment in the agricultural and processing sectors show an estimated 864,441 people employed in the GI sector in 2024, +1.6% on 2023. An unprecedented in-depth study by Istat on companies in the PDO economy in Italy outlines a production system led by entrepreneurs who are younger than average, with greater specialist training, a propensity for innovation, and multifunctionality: factors that translate into better economic results, with an average standard production more than three times higher than that of national agricultural companies as a whole.
In 2024, the PDO economy showed growth in 14 out of 20 Italian regions. The four regions of the Northeast confirmed their role as the “driving force” with an aggregate value of €11.24 billion: Veneto reached a value of almost €5 billion, Emilia-Romagna (+3%) was close to €4 billion, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia (+8.1%, equal to €1.3 billion) further strengthened the region’s results. Overall, the North-West performed very well (+7.1%), driven for the second year in a row by Lombardy, which reached €2.9 billion and, with a +13.1% increase, has grown for the fourth consecutive year. The South and Islands area rose by +3.4% year-on-year, led by Campania (+3.1%), Apulia (+12.2%), and Sicily (+4.0%); Abruzzo (+4.1%) and Calabria (+8.2%) also posted positive year-on-year changes. The Central region, after the decline recorded in 2023, saw a further -0.9% drop, despite a slight recovery in Tuscany (+0.5%) and growth in Umbria (+3.4%).Among the provinces, Treviso leads (€2.26 billion), followed by Parma (€1.61 billion), Verona (€1.40 billion), and Brescia (€1.03 billion), which has surpassed the one-billion-euro mark. Among the top 20 provinces by value, the best absolute results in 2024 were recorded in Mantua (+€121 million), Modena (+€65 million), Treviso (+€64 million), and Brescia (+€63 million). Declines compared to 2023 were seen in Parma (-4.3%), Verona (-2%), Cuneo (-3.4%), Trento (-4.7%), and Caserta (-3.8%).
Exports of the PDO and PGI sector reach €12.3 billion (+8.2% compared to 2023 and +24% compared to 2020). Growth is strongest in the food sector, which rises to €5.15 billion (+12.7% in one year), showing double-digit increases for cheeses, fruit and vegetables, cereals, and olive oils. Wine also performed well: with a +5.2% year-on-year increase, it reached €7.19 billion, accounting for 88% of Italian wine exports. Overall, for both food and wine, exports grew in both EU countries (+5.9%) and non-EU countries (+10.4%), with the United States as the top destination market, representing more than one-fifth (22%) of Italian PDO/PGI exports. A focus report produced with Origin Italia shows that, as of October 2025, 48% of supply chains are feeling the negative effects of U.S. tariffs, and 61% of consortia have begun market-diversification strategies, although only one in three expects tariffs to have a significant long-term impact.
Large-scale retail trade. In 2024, spending on PDO and PGI products in Italian large-scale retail trade grew by +1.1% to €6.2 billion, of which €4.3 billion was spent on food products (+1.2%) and €1.9 billion on wine (+0.9%). The performance of PDO and PGI products was better than that of generic products in the most important sectors, such as cheese (+1% PDO and PGI, stable for generics), meat products (+1.3% PDO and PGI, -0.4% generics) and wine (+0.9% PDO and PGI, +0.1% generics). Discount stores are still the channel with the highest growth rates (+1.9%), while at the regional level, the South is the area with the largest increase (+4.7%). In the first nine months of 2025, Italian spending on PDO and PGI products in large-scale retail continued to increase by +1% year-on-year, with +1.2% for food products and +0.3% for wine.
In 2024, the PDO, PGI, and TSG agri-food sector grew for the fourth consecutive year, with a production value of €9.64 billion (+7.7% in one year and +48% since 2014) and a final consumer turnover of €18.57 billion. The production value for bakery and pastry products (+0.7%) and meat products (-0.9%) remained fairly stable, compared to growth, in some cases even double-digit, in all other categories: cheese (+10.5%), fruit and vegetables (+6.0%), balsamic vinegars (+7.9%), pasta (+11%), olive oils (+46.9%) and fresh meat (+4.3%). Exports exceeded €5 billion for the first time (+12.7% year-on-year, +91% since 2014), with an increase of +9.4% in the EU and +17.8% outside the EU. The system has 86,346 operators, 597,000 employees (+2%), 189 consortia authorized by the Ministry and 36 control bodies.
After the setback in 2023, the PDO and PGI wine sector returned to stability in 2024, both in terms of production and value, while exports resumed growth. The value of bottled wine reaches €11 billion, with varying trends between areas and appellations: among the top 15 PDO and PGI wines (see focus), albeit with different percentages, seven record an increase (Prosecco PDO, Delle Venezie, Puglia PGI, Alto Adige PDO, Chianti Classico PDO, Chianti PDO and Terre Siciliane PGI), and 8 recorded a decline on an annual basis (Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco PDO, Asti PDO, Amarone della Valpolicella PDO, Veneto PGI, Barolo PDO, Valpolicella Ripasso PDO, Brunello di Montalcino PDO and Lugana PDO), while, at the regional level, 9 out of 20 regions recorded positive growth. IG wine exports exceeded €7 billion for the first time (+5.2% in one year and +66% since 2014), representing 88% of total Italian wine exports. The supply chain has 97,236 operators, 331,000 employees (-0.6%), 138 consortia authorized by the Ministry, and 12 control bodies. The top 10 regions in terms of the economic impact of PDO and PGI wines are Veneto (€4.3 billion, +1.2%), Piedmont (€1.18 billion, -4.4%), Tuscany (€1.13 billion, +1%), Friuli Venezia Giulia (€862 million, +8%), Trentino-Alto Adige (€672 million, -4.5%), Puglia (€599 million, +6.5%), Lombardy (€494 million, -12.2%), Emilia-Romagna (€459 million, +4%), Sicily (€442 million, -1.8%) and Abruzzo (€285 million, +3.7%).
For the Minister of Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida, “the results of the PDO Economy confirm, once again, the strength and uniqueness of our agri-food system. Geographical Indications guarantee the protection of know-how and see Italy as the world leader in terms of number of products. Made in Italy does not just mean made in Italy, but good, healthy, worth buying and recognizable through this system that certifies its authenticity. The GI supply chain guarantees quality and economic value, ensuring income for businesses and workers involved in the supply chain. They support the territories to which they are linked and represent an increasingly strong driver for tourism and the economy. We will therefore continue to strongly support this production model, a source of pride linked to our roots, the vitality of our territories, and a strategic element for our competitiveness in the future. Above all, we will continue to defend this model in every international context” .