Among the protagonists of the Italian Pavilion here at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York is also the Lazio region. We talk about it with Massimiliano Raffa, president of the Lazio Regional Agency for Agricultural Development and Innovation – ARSIAL.
How important is the Fancy Food Show for raising awareness of Lazio’s excellence abroad?
Extremely important, we are riding an extraordinary beautiful period in which the Lazio region is experiencing important export growth. The American market is the first market, so for us to be here is also a beautiful investment, convinced that it is a choice that will bring excellent results.
What is the key to communicating the value of craftsmanship and excellence of the Lazio region in the American market?
We do it in many ways, but quality remains the main element. We have a production fabric that does not have great production but great excellence. Our message is clear: Lazio’s product is a niche product, which may cost a little more but on your plate you have something extraordinary and unique.
What does Made in Italy represent in the U.S. and what makes it so competitive and desired?
Quality and storytelling. The sacrifices and investments of all the Italian families who are here, you find them in their products. And then there is the welcome and the cheerfulness, our way of presenting products is unique. We are an incredible people and this fits perfectly with the American business model that focuses on rules, increased growth and investment. Here, if I can make a small criticism of our country, it’s really about that, we need to find that business capacity that we see here in the U.S., detaxing the investments that are made and then that is the real secret of the success of our entrepreneurs.
The article Massimiliano Raffa and Lazio’s strategy for exporting quality and storytelling to the United States comes from TheNewyorker.