The Italian Pavilion, an international showcase for 'Made in Italy' food

Il Commissario Generale per l’Italia ad Expo 2025 Osaka, Amb. Mario Vattani

"We want to confirm the important value of Italian agribusiness," said the President of ICE, Matteo Zoppas, "we must help entrepreneurs, large, small and medium enterprises, in their process of internationalisation. Tradition, history, art, but also values, principles and traditions are the cornerstones of Made in Italy that we are also expressing within this Italian Pavilion. Minister Francesco Lollobrigida has indicated a clear trajectory: to bring Italian agrifood exports to 100 billion euros. This is an achievable goal, because the Italian agri-food industry is recording solid and constant growth performances. This is demonstrated by the figures for our wine: in 2024 the sector reached 8.1 billion euros (+5.5% on 2023) and in the first two months of 2025 wine exports reached 1.2 billion euros, up 3.6% on the same period in 2024. East Asia represents a strategic market: Italian wine exports in 2024 touched EUR 434 million. Moreover, in 2024 we exported 5.6 billion euros of agri-food products to Asia, an increase of 7.5% compared to 2023 and 41.6% compared to 2019. Numbers that tell of a market with high potential, but we need to continue to invest in promotion and the removal of technical obstacles, such as non-tariff barriers and certifications. ICE is committed to this front, working in synergy with the network of embassies and the Sistema Paese (also made up of SACE, Simest, and Cdp) that operate under the aegis of the growth diplomacy promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in liaison with the Ministry of Agriculture. Italian wine, like all agri-food products, is no longer confined to the ethnic channel. It is increasingly entering local cuisines, even in Asia. It is appreciated for its quality, for its cultural value, for the identity it represents. And this makes us even stronger in global competition. Today we have worked on the development of the wine sector by creating a meeting between Asian and Japanese companies and importers in the Expo setting, where supply and demand met and courted each other'.

"After taking part in the 2015 Universal Exhibition in Milan with the Wine Pavilion, Veronafiere with Vinitaly is once again in the front row at the Expo in Japan to strengthen the presence of our wine-growing system on international markets. Vinitaly is a real brand-flag for Italian wine promotion. With a masterclass and forum organised in Osaka together with Ice-Agency, it confirms its commitment with institutions and companies to enhance the wine product as an ambassador of our culture, territory and unique lifestyle in the world," said Federico Bricolo, President of VeronaFiere.

"Asia represents a mosaic of markets that are extremely diverse in terms of culture, economy, and regulations: a complex challenge but also an enormous opportunity for Italian wine," says Massimiliano Giansanti, President of Confagricoltura. "Our producers can count on globally recognised strengths: excellent quality, wide variety, and a strong territorial identity. In order to successfully tackle these commercial outlets, it is essential to 'work as a system': we need increasingly close collaboration between companies, institutions and consortia, with the aim of promoting a coordinated image and structuring an integrated organisation capable of cutting costs and facilitating widespread penetration. Japan, China and South Korea, more mature markets, alone absorb almost 300 million euros of Italian wine, or about two thirds of the entire export to Asia. There is room to grow within this triangle and to broaden horizons towards India, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Singapore' .

"This is a prepared market, ready to understand and appreciate wine as an expression of Made in Italy, but not only wine, also territory, culture, lifestyle and tradition. Japanese consumers are very attentive and particularly demanding, as they look for labels that are sustainable, have a low environmental impact and are authentically rich in history. This applies to wine as well as to all Italian food products. With particular attention to the quality of ingredients and respect for the product (just think of the art of cutting), Japan is one of the countries in the world most capable of understanding the added value of our agri-food sector and appreciating it for what it is really worth. Expo Osaka is a unique opportunity to present our excellence between tradition and innovation to the rest of the world in an extraordinary Italian pavilion that is one of the most visited of all," says Luigi Scordamaglia, AD Filiera Italia and director of markets and international policies Coldiretti..

"Having said that the American market is not replaceable, the fluidity and uncertainty of the current context, as well as the possibility of the introduction of tariffs on Italian wine, have set off an alarm bell that we can no longer ignore. The sector must become aware of the need to broaden its range of action, diversifying its exports towards new destinations. The Asian market, in this regard, may become the most strategic outlet for the commercial future of our companies. In order to effectively penetrate these countries, a twofold effort will therefore be needed: at the entrepreneurial level, to find the right cultural, communication and distribution channels, and at the political-institutional level to ensure the removal of barriers to trade also through free trade agreements," said Lamberto Frescobaldi, President Italian Wine Union (UIV).

'In celebrating the opening of the Osaka Expo, it is important to remember even today the fundamental role that wine continues to play, uniting people from different cultures and continents. Wine is much more than just a beverage, it is a symbol of our heritage and culture, a tool that has given value to so many territories and, moreover, a natural companion to gastronomy, both traditional and contemporary,' commented Marzia Varvaglione, President of the Comité Européen des Enterprises Vins (CEEV). 'For centuries it has represented an indissoluble and privileged link with the territory it belongs to, as well as an ambassador and expression of the territory itself.