Cibus 2021 edition, an event organized by Fiere di Parma and Federalimentare, was inaugurated in Parma on 31 August to end on 3 September.
Postponed from 2020 and from the “historic” date of May due to a pandemic, it is the first major international fair to reopen, at the beginning of the second half of 2021.
An important showcase for the agri-food sector thanks to the proposal of new products on national and foreign markets, to take advantage of the economic recovery, also benefiting from the boost of the Recovery Plan.
A sector that has supported the food consumption of Italians during the lockdown and is increasing production levels, also in the first half of 2021. Such as those relating to exports, which grew by 11%.
Around 2,000 exhibiting companies are expected at Cibus 2021 edition, which will offer thousands of brands and over 500 new products. Tens of thousands of foreign operators and top buyers from Italy, Europe and overseas countries are expected.
Government measures well
On the occasion of the first day of the event, Maurizio Danese, president of Aefi https://www.aefi.it/it/, Association of Italian exhibitions and fairs: “With the 2021 edition of Cibus, the great events made in Italy return, in a tour of exhibition force which between now and the end of the year will count 335 exhibitions, of which 172 international. A commitment that the sector faces with greater serenity after the overcoming of the constraint on state aid made official yesterday by the EU Commission. The green light to aid without the “de minimis” ceiling is worth a total of about 200 million euros in refreshments for the sector. A figure, the result of the action of the Italian Government and the Minister of Tourism, Massimo Garavaglia, which we want to reciprocate with interest, if we consider the socio-economic function of a trade fair system that before Covid generated business in favor of Italian companies for 60 billion euro per year “.
The commitment of the Italian government and the ICE Agency was of fundamental importance both in 2020 and in this 2021 of the recovery. The synergy with ICE-Agency contributes not only to the meeting at Cibus 2021 edition between international buyers and exhibiting Italian food companies, but also to offer the opportunity to visit some of the most significant realities of the Italian agri-food context based in the Food Valley.
According to Aefi, of the 172 international fairs scheduled between now and the end of the year, the textile / clothing / fashion sector is the most represented sector with 28 events, followed by sports / hobbies / entertainment / art (26 events) and food / drinks and hospitality with 23 events. Lombardy is confirmed as the first region for the number of international fairs (50), followed by Emilia-Romagna (42) and Veneto (23). The primary sector dominates among national events (49), followed by sports and entertainment (40) and food / drinks and hospitality (34).