White meat and eggs: demand is now outstripping supply

“Poultry meat and eggs are currently enjoying a very positive period,” explains the president of Unaitalia, Antonio Forlini. Our products are seeing a substantial increase in demand for health reasons (a significant protein content with low fat), economic reasons (excellent value for money) and religious reasons (the growing presence of Muslim immigrants). This growth certainly does not appear to be a passing trend.”

Per capita consumption of poultry meat in the EU reached 29.3 kilograms, representing a 9.3 per cent increase since 2020, against a 5.6 per cent rise in production. Looking ahead, Rabobank forecasts consumption growth of 2 per cent per year until 2032, whilst globally, consumption is estimated to grow by 25 per cent by 2035. “Our main challenge will therefore be to equip ourselves to meet the demands of new consumer segments with ‘Made in Italy’ products,” continues Forlini. And in this regard, the burden cannot fall solely on the – albeit broad – shoulders of the Italian poultry industry.

“Italia is starting from a favourable position,” Forlini continues, “that of a self-sufficient supply chain. It is a fundamental asset that should not be taken for granted. We must be ready to meet this growing demand by producing more. However, the real challenge is not simply to keep up with demand, but to continually optimise production processes. We are committed to continuing to produce in a competitive and sustainable manner, ensuring food safety, high standards and investment capacity. We therefore need clear planning and long-term policies. But we also need a helping hand from Brussels, which, faced with a stringent regulatory framework and rising production costs, must at the very least introduce significant bureaucratic simplification. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to ensure high production standards in the future, given high costs and unsustainable bureaucracy’.

In 2025, the total turnover of the national poultry sector (meat and eggs) recorded significant growth, standing at approximately 9.74 billion euros, with 14.3 per cent of this turnover generated in foreign markets. More specifically, turnover from poultry meat is estimated at €6.02 billion, whilst the eggs sector reached €3.73 billion.

There are around 6,800 farms and processing businesses in the poultry sector, employing a total of around 64,000 people, of whom 38,500 work in rearing and 25,500 in the processing of meat and eggs.

Alongside these is a large supporting industry comprising feed manufacturers, hatcheries and research and analysis laboratories, which helps to further strengthen the sector’s role in the Italian agri-food economy.

The challenge of increasing the production of poultry and eggs to meet growing domestic and international demand cannot be addressed without a significant improvement in the fight against avian influenza, which continues to periodically threaten poultry farms in Italia and across Europe. “It has now been thirty years,” explain representatives from Unaitalia, “that we have had outbreaks of avian influenza of varying severity in Italia and Europe.” It is one of the most complex challenges facing the sector, especially now that the disease is showing signs of becoming endemic on a global scale. “However, this does not mean we should accept it passively; on the contrary, it demands a change of approach,” the association continues. It is now necessary to look beyond the issues relating to compensation that arise when health authorities impose culls and restrictions on farms and in areas near outbreaks. Beyond ex-post management, we must work to understand how to reduce and prevent the risk. We must continue to strengthen training, prevention, biosecurity, surveillance and rapid response capabilities, working in close collaboration with health authorities and the scientific community. The aim is to reduce the risk and limit its impact on public health, production and the economy as much as possible.”

And it is precisely with regard to compensation for businesses affected in recent days that thethe European green light for 73.25 million euros for Italia to cover indirect losses caused by avian influenza and swine fever during the period 2022–2025. A measure which, according to producers, ‘represents an important signal, and the great commitment of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty on this challenging issue must be recognised. It is now essential that the aid reaches businesses through simple procedures and in a timely manner. However, alongside compensation and support for affected businesses, we must increasingly strengthen preventive measures’.

And it is precisely on this second point that Unaitalia is calling for a change of approach. “We are convinced,” they add, “that the time has come to envisage a risk management system based on mutual funds capable of stepping in to address the difficulties faced by businesses. New tools need to be developed in this regard. We must examine risk management approaches in light of the spread of this phenomenon, which has now become a significant issue for the supply chain. In addition to seeking scientific solutions for the prevention of health risks and training in biosafety, we must also work on fostering a culture of risk awareness. We need to work on multiple fronts to successfully tackle both health and economic risks in a coordinated manner.”