L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2021 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 2 " Italian cuisine is tradition, quality, creativity, but also in- novation, wellbeing, and su- stainability." With these words, Italian Ambassador to the US Mariangela Zappia introdu- ced the sixth edition of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, an ini- tiative promoted by the Ministry of Fo- reign Affairs and International Coope- ration through a rich program of events taking place across the country. Her words stressed the focus of the 2021 edi- tion: Italian cuisine between tradition, innovation, and sustainability. Ambassador Zappia emphasized American people's passion for our food but, in particular, she underlined the role that food, cooking, and the agroindustry have in Italian-American bilateral relations, in a context where commercial exchange in 2021 has already surpassed the record- breaking results of 2019. Export of Italian food and beverages to the US registered a growth of almost 30%. Indeed, we shouldn't forget that the US is one of the greatest estimators of Italian cuisine's added value is quality. This is why we must stop the diffusion of Italian Sounding products From the Editor our tricolore a tavola, the second importer of Italian food pro- ducts in 2021, with an increase of 17% between January and August. "From the Mediterranean Diet, a nutritional model to fol- low according to doctors and researchers, to the art of Neapolitan pizzaiuoli, recognized by UNESCO as part of the world's cultural patrimony, Italy - Ambassador Zappia conti- nued - keeps being an inspiration in this sector, for the US and for the world." But to be a model, one must have sturdy roots. At the very heart of such a success lies our agriculture, which has become the "greenest" in Europe, with the highest n u m b e r o f o r g a n i c p r o d u c e p r o d u c e r s ( 8 0 , 0 0 0 ) , o f DOP/IGP/STG recognized specialties (316), as well as more than 526 DOP/IGP wines and 5,333 traditional food products. Thanks to these results, Italy's agri-food sector didn't only manage to come out successfully from the crisis caused by the pandemic, but it even increased its exports by 12%, for a total income that, if the trend continues, will reach 52 billion euro (almost 60 billion USD) - the highest amount ever recorded - by the end of the year. The estimate is based on ISTAT data on foreign trade during the first 9 months of the year, published to coincide with the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, an event aimed at promoting Italy's excellences in 110 states, through the country's cultural and diplomatic network repre- sented by Embassies, Consulates, Italian Institutes of Culture, ICE offices and Chambers of Commerce abroad. This is the result of a lot of work - especially if thinking it was reached when trade and commercial exchange were limi- ted by the effects of the pandemic on the restoration industry, which heavily affected the consumption of Italian products and wines- but also for the diffusion of their imitations everywhere around the world. From fake Parmigiano to imitations of Prosecco, counter- feiting Made in Italy products is worth 100 billion euro (around 112 billion USD), almost double the worth of Italy's official food export numbers. Because of the Italian Sounding business, more than two in three "Italian" agro-food products are not Italian at all, Coldiretti, the country and Europe's main organization of agricultural entrepreneurs, with more than 1.5 million members, states. This means that Italy has been losing plenty of work – some 300,000 positions, Coldiretti conti- nues, and plenty of economic opportunities. Sadly, and more worryingly, the consumer misses on the healthiness typical of Italian products, which are not only authentic but also under- go severe quality controls. Low prices, on the other hand, tran- slate more often than not in very poor-quality. Incidentally, the Covid-19 crisis brought about a healthy turn in the lives and choices of consumers, who have finally become more healthwise, often choosing products typical of the Mediterranean Diet. "The global emergency caused by Covid-19 made people more aware about the strategic value of food, and about the necessity of quality and safety controls," president of Coldiretti Ettore Prandini stated. Prandini also underlines we are talking about an award-winning resource, but that we must invest more to protect what he calls "Italy's food domination." Il Belpaese, Coldiretti explains, is the first European producer of rice, durum wheat, wine and a plethora of vegetables typical of the Mediterranean diet, such as toma- toes, eggplant, artichokes, fresh chicory, endive, celery, and fennel. The same can be said about fruit: from apples to pears, from cherries to grapes, from kiwi to hazeluts, all the way to chestnut. Prandini underlines that "Italian Sounding became popular because there is a 'hunger' for Italian products around the world. But today, he concludes, we mustn't fight against fake Made in Italy for money, but for our health. Truth is that, more often than not, people doesn't buy the wrong product for a matter of money, but for lack of knowledge." Simone Schiavinato, Editor Simone Schiavinato NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Avviso di assunzione presso il Consolato Generale d'Italia a Los Angeles www.conslosangeles.esteri.it. Member of FUSIE (Federazione Unitaria Stampa Italiana all'Estero), COGITO L'Italo-Americano 610 West Foothill Blvd. Unit D, Monrovia, CA 91016 - Tel.: (626) 359-7715 PLEASE SEND CORRESPONDENCE TO P.O. BOX 6528, ALTADENA, CA 91003 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano Newspaper (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization), www.italoamericano.org, is the largest and longest-running Italian newspaper in America, not to mention the cultural and news resource for all things Italian in the US. A bilingual newspaper which represents an historical landmark for the Italian American Communities in the West Coast and throughout the US. 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PUBLISHER Robert Barbera Grande Ufficiale EDITOR IN CHIEF Simone Schiavinato ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Patrick Abbate EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Barbara Minafra COPY EDITOR Francesca Bezzone LOS ANGELES CONTRIBUTOR Silvia Giudici SAN FRANCISCO CONTRIBUTORS Catherine Accardi Serena Perfetto SEATTLE CONTRIBUTOR Rita Cipalla CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mariella Radaelli, Francesca Bezzone, Luca Ferrari, Stefano Carnevali, Paula Reynolds, Nico- letta Curradi, GenerosoD'Agnese, Fabrizio Del Bimbo, Maria Gloria, Alfonso Guerriero Jr., Anthony Di Renzo Serena Perfetto, Kenneth Scambray, Chiara D'Alessio © 2020 L'Italo-Americano Membership: One year $59 - Single copy $2.25 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to L'Italo Americano PO Box 6528 Altadena, CA 91003 Mail form and check to L'Italo-Americano, P.O.BOX 6528, ALTADENA, CA 91003

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