RIMINI, ITALY – The world of coffee and all its production chain are growing considerably at SIGEP 2014 and, along with an expo area hosting the leading companies and another set up under the cupola in the South Foyer for the numerous barista championships, the seminars scheduled also attract great interest and participation.
At the round table entitled What does the future hold for Italian espresso? held last Sunday during SIGEP 2014 the main institutions and associations from the Italian coffee world met to discuss the ´Italian espresso system´.
Moderated by Andrej Godina (authorized trainer, Speciality Coffee Association of Europe authorized trainer – SCAE ITALIA), the meeting hosted Marcello Fiore (General Manager, FIPE Italia), Maurizio Giuli (UCIMAC), Massimo Barnabà (SensoryLab, Illycaffè), Massimiliano Fabian (Chairman, Caffè Trieste Association), Patrick Hoffer (Chairman, CIC – Comitato Italiano Caffè), Cosimo Libardo (Vice president, SCAE – Specialty Coffee Association of Europe, Alberto Polojac (Executive Committee member, Trieste Coffee Cluster), Filippo Mazzoni (Training Manager, Cimbali Group), Enrico Meschini [Chairman, Caffè Speciali Certificati (Certified Speciality Coffee)] and Patrizia Cecchi (Business Unit Manager, Rimini Fiera).
The round table was a qualified opportunity for networking on the critical aspects and prospects of the Italy´s coffee ´system´. All the speakers agreed that the upcoming international appointments of SCAE´s World of Coffee at Rimini Fiera in June and the hall dedicated to coffee at Expo 2015 will be the key appointments for boosting the trade, which at international level has lost some ground, and confirming its decisive re-launch.
Patrick Hoffer, Chairman of the CIC (Comitato Italiano Caffè), emphasized the Italian coffee sector´s figures.There are over 700 coffee roasters and a workforce of 7,000 with a production turnover of 3.5 billion euros, of which approximately 950 million euros destined for export.In fact, in 2012, Italy was in fourth place (behind Germany, Belgium and the United States) in the ranking for major coffee exporters, with approximately 2.9 million bags (the equivalent of 174 million kg. of green coffee).
Regarding the Italian market´s figures, in the period January-July 2013, the import of green coffee increased by 2.07% overall, compared with the same period of 2012 (with 5,448,417 bags of green coffee). Exports of roasted coffee maintained a decisive growth trend, with an increase of 9.89% compared with 2012 (1,873,600 bags, the equivalent of 112,416,000 kg).As far as the month of July 2013 was concerned, the export figure (equal to 15.19 million kg of roasted and decaffeinated coffee), corresponds to a value of € 106,935,000, exceeded imports, which reached 49.293 million kg. of green coffee, equivalent to a turnover of € 105,316,000.
Source: SIGEP 2014
