Italy officially opened Tuttofood Milano 2026 today, positioning the event as a strategic international hub for the future of the food and beverage industries.
Held at Rho Fiera Milano, the four-day exhibition brings together institutions, manufacturers, retailers, and hospitality operators from across the world. The opening ceremony featured Italy’s Industry Minister Adolfo Urso and Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, underscoring growing institutional backing for Italy’s agrifood sector. “In a challenging global environment, agrifood remains one of the five pillars of Made in Italy,” Urso said in a video message, citing “more than €70 billion in exports,” nearly “900 PDO and PGI-certified products,” and over “€20 billion in generated value.”
Lollobrigida described Tuttofood as “an international showcase” for Italy’s food supply chain and said stronger synergies between Italian trade shows are essential to boosting competitiveness in global markets.
The event also highlights the strategic alliance between Fiere di Parma and Fiera Milano, combining Parma’s Cibus expertise with Milan’s international reach and logistics infrastructure.
According to Italian Trade Agency (ITA) President Matteo Zoppas, Italy’s agrifood exports rose 5% in 2025 to a record €72.5 billion despite geopolitical tensions. However, exports to the United States fell 21.9% in the first two months of 2026 due to new tariffs.
The Italian Trade Agency brought more than 200 international operators from 36 countries to Milan, including buyers from Saudi Arabia, China, the United States, Japan, and the UAE.
Tuttofood 2026 features 5,000 exhibiting brands, up 20% year-on-year, with nearly 30% from outside Italy. Organizers expect 100,000 accredited visitors and more than 1,200 journalists. Exhibition space expanded 15% to 85,000 square metres across 10 halls.
Antonio Cellie, CEO of Fiere di Parma, said the long-term ambition is to create “a permanent platform to discuss and build the future of food” focused on sustainability, health, and accessibility.
The first day’s agenda includes the International Forum of Italian Cuisine, dedicated to the role of Italian cuisine — now recognised as UNESCO intangible heritage — as a tool of cultural diplomacy and economic soft power.
L’articolo Tuttofood 2026 Opens With Record Global Turnout and Italian Food Export Momentum proviene da Italianfood.net.