Cibus 2021, to be held in Parma from August 31 to September 3, is the first major Italian international B2B exhibition to reopen in-person. Cibus represents the restart of the Italian food and beverage sector and its exports. During the long lockdown period, the made-in-Italy agri-food sector not only met domestic demand, but increased its export shares. Demand from abroad increased for both typical products of the Mediterranean diet (pasta, tomato-based products, olive oil, cheeses) and high-quality premium products. Good conditions, therefore, for a strong production recovery of the sector and for the consolidation of new positions on international markets.
Exhibiting companies at Cibus have already confirmed their participation, reassured by the success of the vaccination campaign and by the sanitation and distancing measures that will be adopted by Fiere di Parma in its exhibition centre, as already tested successfully at Cibus Forum in September 2020.
Luigi di Maio, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stated: “Italian Food is the true symbol of Made in Italy throughout the world. Trade fairs are its major promotion tool, the best showcases for exports and generators of economic growth. The Italian fair system has proved maturity and resilience. Now we can officially announce that physical trade fairs will start again on June 15, a target that we have been working for with much determination. Cibus 2021 will be the first international food trade show marking the restart of our nation, the flagship of “Made in Italy Excellence”.
All product categories will be on display at Cibus 2021: from deli meats to cheeses, from pasta to tomato-based products, from olive oil to baked goods, from beverages to grocery products, from frozen foods to local products, and more. There will also be a new area dedicated to the Ho.Re.Ca. channel (restaurants, bars and similar), called “Ho.Re.Ca.The HUB”, in partnership with Dolcitalia. Other dedicated areas include the new Unionbirrai and Birra Nostra space dedicated to craft beers and Bellavita Expo, the B2B event which for years has been organizing promotional shows for Italian Food & Beverage in foreign capitals. “I like to think of Cibus as symbolizing the recovery of the Italian food industry, said Ivano Vacondio, President of Federalimentare. After guaranteeing supplies to the markets in 2020, a very difficult year, the first part of 2021 is not showing great signs of recovery. The end of the summer, however, should mark a turning point. With the recovery of the Ho.Re.Ca. sector and the return of exports at full capacity, I believe that in the second half of the year the food industry will be able to restore 2021 figures to at least the level of those recorded in 2019, and hopefully surpass them. Underpinning these expectations, Cibus will be an opportunity to send a strong signal: the Made-in-Italy sector is taking centre stage again and is ready to enter foreign markets in order to ride, faster than before, the export highway.”
Antonio Cellie, CEO of Fiere di Parma agreed with this assessment and asserted: “Doing Cibus in September 2021 was a challenge, but also a duty. We put in play our international reputation, developed over 40 years together with Federalimentare. We will be the first in the European trade show sector to offer, together with the Italian government, a competitive advantage to our exhibitors and consequently to the Made-in-Italy food sector.” Italian and European retail buyers will be attending Cibus 2021, as well as large delegations of business operators from the USA, Latin America, and Asia, thanks also to the incoming programme of the Italian Trade Agency (ICE). Buyers are offered a unique opportunity, through the “on the road” Cibus Destination programme, to visit the production plants of the Food Valley and its points of sale, and, through “on-site” Cibus Destination, discover the new trends of Authentic Italian food by exploring thematic itineraries dedicated to local productions. “The return of Cibus in-person, after the cancellation of the 2020 edition, is a very important achievement and evidence of the courage of the organizers, the tenacity of businesses and, let me say it, the support of the national economic system, said Carlo Ferro, President of the Italian Trade Agency (ICE). The pandemic accelerated some megatrends which will characterize the markets of the future, among which attention to a healthy eating and to sustainability. Cibus will also be an opportunity for reaffirming the quality and health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, combined with the local bio-diversity, the excellence of the entire agri-food sector and the uniqueness of the Italian lifestyle. We want to promote these outstanding elements of the Made-in-Italy sector, in order to help Italian businesses with the restarting process which is already underway.”
