Fruit and vegetables

The strategy of the Emilia Romagna Igp pear against the crisis in the sector

The PGI fruit has gone against the tide, growing from 700 hectares in 2016-2017 to around 3,600 hectares in 2025: Periculturists are aiming for it to grow again in the future

by Manuela Soressi

17 December 2025

Buoni risultati per la Pera dell’Emilia Romagna Igp

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The Pera dell'Emilia Romagna Igp would be enough on its own to cover practically all the national consumption of this fruit, the favourite of 13 Italians out of 100. And, with a few innovations in the field, it would also be possible to obtain a fair amount to sell on international markets. But today this is not (yet) the case. The region that represents the heart of national production (61% of the total) has a production potential of 90 thousand tonnes of PGI pears but sells less than 5 thousand and allocates 34% of the area cultivated with pears. Yet this niche of excellence is the one that has shown itself best able to withstand the recent difficulties experienced by the sector and the one on which the pear growers are betting to return to growth in the future after troubled years all uphill.

The combination of an increase in the number of adverse weather conditions in the field and the impossibility of dealing with them due to the EU tightening of defence measures, the presence of extreme climatic events, the increase in production costs and the consumption crisis has brought Italian periculture to its knees, halving its surface area and production in ten years (today 365 thousand tonnes obtained from 19,600 hectares), making it lose ground on foreign markets (where consumption remains positive) and opening up space to imported fruit, which has reached over 120 thousand tonnes.

A perfect storm that has seriously jeopardised the survival of periculture in Italy. Especially in Emilia Romagna, where of the 18,300 hectares of 2018 today only 10,500 are left and where, in ten years the harvest has decreased by more than 45%, stopping at 226 thousand tonnes.

Meanwhilethe Pera dell'Emilia Romagna Igp has gone against the tide, growing from 700 hectares in 2016-2017 to around 3,600 in 2025 and increasing sales, with the 2025/2026 campaign recording a doubling of quantities sold compared to the previous one.

An achievement that is the result of a systemic effort, launched in 2021 with the birth of Unapera, the association of producer organisations (Aop) that has concentrated the offer and centralised the sector's activities, from marketing to sales. And which has worked hard on agronomic and technical research, also on little-known aspects (such as the use of assisted evolution techniques), to relaunch some varieties and create more resistant plants, also with the economic support of the Emilia-Romagna region.

Having saved Emilia-Romagna pears from extinction, the focus is on the PGI label as a seal of quality, traceability and food safety and as an icon of recognisability among consumers. Confirmation comes from thenew communication campaign, financed by the Region, that started in November and will continue until January 2026 with extensive planning on television, radio, press and digital.

The aim is to conquer new targets, especially the younger ones, since pears are consumed mainly by the over-55s. If these fans ofKaiser, Williams and Abate Fétel have no problem enjoying them at different times of the day, this is not yet the case for young people. The pear remains an after-meal fruit and is not yet considered a healthy snack after the gym, a wholesome snack for kids or a perfect ingredient in a healthy breakfast. Conquering new consumer targets therefore depends on communicating the many occasions on which this fruit, which is also extraordinarily versatile in gastronomic combinations, can be enjoyed. And this is where the six chefs, mixologists and pastry chefs appointed ambassadors of the 'The perfect gourmand fruit' project come into play with their 12 creative recipes that interpret the pear in a very contemporary way, from monkfish liver and oxidised pear to Peramisù.
An innovative approach, supported by a multi-channel communication campaign, to make the potential of the Pera dell'Emilia Romagna Igp known in the Horeca channel and stimulate its use among professionals in the sector, with the double benefit of developing new commercial opportunities and meeting a wider public in a non-domestic consumption context.