We are at the Italy Pavilion of the 2025 Summer Fancy Food Show in New York — one of the most important food trade fairs in the world, where our country plays a leading role as the event’s Country Partner for the second year in a row. Here, we interviewed Michele De Pascale, President of the Emilia-Romagna Region.
How important is it for our companies to take part in events like Fancy Food to consolidate their presence in foreign markets?
It’s very important. As a Region, together with the Italian Government, we are fully committed to supporting our companies. We have over 40 producers here from Emilia-Romagna, including many with PDO and PGI certifications. It’s always crucial to maintain a presence in the U.S. market — we must not forget that there are 26 million people in the United States with Italian roots. They eat Italian, dress Italian, drive Italian, and are great ambassadors of Italy. Right now, there is concern across our entire export sector, which is worth more than 10 billion euros for Emilia-Romagna alone. We want to convince American public opinion that there’s no benefit in blocking or complicating trade between our countries — especially considering that a large share of the added value from Italian products remains in the U.S. We’re here to relaunch; we don’t want to step back from this market. On the contrary, we want to put even more energy into it.
What actions is the Region taking to support businesses and help them grow abroad?
A key part of our strategy takes place within our Region. Our PDO and PGI products are essential elements — that’s why we support consortia and producers in working together to increase the value of their goods. We have unique excellences — just think of the milk used for Parmigiano Reggiano, which is one of a kind on a global level. We’re also about to launch a specific internationalization grant program, covering up to 70% of expenses. Through this, we aim to encourage producers and businesses to collaborate in strengthening our presence across all markets — through trade shows, events like this one, and also through communication. We want to reinforce the Emilia-Romagna brand using every possible tool, including attracting investment.
There’s a major opportunity to integrate supply chains — many Italian companies and consortia have already invested in the U.S. We are the home of Barilla, which has gone beyond “Made in Italy” to promote “Made by Italians”: showcasing not only Italy’s ability to produce excellence, but also its capacity to involve American capital in Italian production. Economic integration between our two markets is a positive thing — but we must remember that when there’s no freedom in trade, everyone loses.