According to a report published last December by research institute Ismea, Italy is the third largest producer of tomatoes for processing in the world. In 2022, about 5.5 million tonnes of tomatoes were produced and processed in Italy, which amounts to about 15% of the world’s production and 56% of the European crop. The industrial turnover of this sector exceeds €4bn, of which exports account for 2.2%.

The Ismea report also confirms that Italy is the leading producer of canned tomatoes destined directly for final consumers and that 60% of Italian processed tomatoes are exported. This highlights Italy’s leading role in the world as well as the importance of this sector within the Italian agri-food industry.