The vegetable milk market - Italy

1.2 The world market

The vegetable milk market is particularly dynamic, with sales growth expected to average +**.*% per year between **** and ****. This would represent a market of $**.* billion by ****, up from $**.* billion in ****, with a total increase of nearly **% in * years.[***]

Global vegetable milk market World, ****-****, billion dollars Source: ****

equal in all regions of the world

Asia-Pacific

half of

natural presence of plants

Vegetable milk market distribution by world region World, ****, % Source: ****

almond milk

to register the highest growth during ****-****

Projected average annual growth rates for different types of plant milks World, ****-****, % Source: ****

Consumer interest in reducing the dietary intake of animal-derived food products is growing as attention to sustainability, health and ethical concerns is increasing. As a result, the food industry is producing new plant-based products that mimic many of the physicochemical and sensory properties of animal foods such as milk, eggs, and meat. Compared with traditional dairy products, animal-free dairy proteins offer a number of advantages. They are free of antibiotics, hormones, and lactose, making them acceptable to anyone with the aforementioned sensitivities or intolerances. They are also comparable to milk protein in terms of nutritional value, taste, texture and usefulness.

In recent years, plant-based milk alternatives have grown in ...

1.3 The domestic market

Here we use data that refer to ATECO entry **.**.**,"Production of fruit and vegetable juices," which includes the production of vegetable milks, as there is no ATECO entry related only to those. This sector has remained stable over the past ten years, with turnover increasing by +** percent.

We will analyze in Part * in more detail how vegetable milk production and sales are structured in Italy.

Turnover of the fruit or vegetable juice production sector, including vegetable milks Italy, ****-****, millions of euros Source: ****

1.4 Foreign trade

Here we use data for UN Comtrade HS Code ******, which includes "Fruit, nut or vegetable juices, unfermented, not containing added spirit, whether or not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter (***)". This allows us to get a comprehensive look at Italy's foreign trade in the sector.

We can see that Italy exports these products more than it imports them, and that both exports as much as imports are decreasing slightly with the years : they fell by -**% and -*% respectively in five years from **** to ****.

Foreign trade of vegetable milk Italy, ****-****, millions of dollars Source: ****

Europe

France,

Germany,

Austria

Netherlands

Destinations of vegetable milk exports Italy, ****, in % Source: ****

Austria,

Netherlands

Turkey

In fact, Austria has a dynamic agriculture. this is due to the fact that the trend of farm concentration has been confirmed in Austria since the ****s, with a sharp decline in the number of farms (***). In addition, Austria's agricultural policy is primarily oriented toward rural development and has made the environment a national priority. In addition, with ** percent of its agricultural area, Austria is the European country with the highest percentage of organically farmed land . This is due in part to the demands of the population. The public ...

2.1 Characteristics of the question: Vegans and vegetarians

Italians' appetite for plant-based and environmentally friendly diets is on the rise. We can find two main reasons driving the increase in demand for plant-based dairy, including vegan and vegetarian diets, and environmental friendliness.

The increase in the number of vegans and vegetarians

This segment of the population is undoubtedly the largest purchaser of plant-based milks. This lifestyle is quite widespread in Italy with almost * in ** people calling themselves vegan or vegetarian. As for vegetarians, people who have declared themselves to be vegetarians are *.* percent of the population, while vegans are *.* percent for a total of about * million people. More women than men choose a vegetarian regimen (***). Among vegans, however, the situation is reversed: men are *.*% versus *% of women. There are also those who say they do not currently follow a diet free of animal products, but have done so in the past: they are *% of men and *.*% of women[***].

Vegetarians and Vegans in Italy, percentage of the population Italy, **** -****, in percent Source: ****

**-** year olds

the older segment

Percentage of Vegetarians, by age group Italy, ****, in percent Source: ****

2.2 Demand characteristics: Environmental and health sustainability

Another aspect that strongly influences demand is the increasing importance given by consumers to sustainable production practices. In fact, one of the factors driving Italians toward the consumption of vegetable milk is the impact that animal farms, intensive and otherwise, have on the environment. According to a survey by Alto Consumo, ** percent of respondents believe that their eating habits impact the planet.

Specifically, ** percent believe plant foods have one of the lowest ecological footprints in the food world, while ** percent value them because they require less use of natural resources-such as soil, water and energy-than others.[***]

Indeed, it would be wrong to think that this type of product is consumed exclusively by vegans or vegetarians who, although on the rise, represent only a portion of the consumers pushing the market for alternatives to animal products. Even and especially those who choose to follow a flexitarian diet - minimizing the consumption of animal derivatives, in favor of plant-based products - are enabling the expansion of this sector as it stands today. The number of people around the world following this diet is increasing dramatically, and by **** there will be ** million flexitarians, while in Italy ** percent of the population is convinced that following ...

2.3 Consumers' spending habits are changing

Consumer habits have changed profoundly in recent years, and plant-based products play a key role in these changes. Indeed, more and more consumers have decided to turn to ***% plant-based products. if, especially in the early ****s, the consumption of these products was due to wanting to follow the "fashion" of the moment, today the consumption of these products is under the banner of a balanced, tasty, safe, and sustainable diet. [***]

The way of approaching plant-based products, which are considered healthy, good and friendly to the planet, has also changed, with more than * in * (***) and environmental protection are also important.

Why Italians choose plant-based products Italy, ****, in percent BVA -DOXA

(* out of ** become regular users, as many occasional users

the under-**s

thought-out decision

the label

media

listening to

medical advice

What Italians look at when they buy plant-based products Italy, ****, in percent BVA -DOXA

second favorite product

rice, soy, oat, almond

coconut

drinks

Plant-based products preferred by Italians Italians, ****, in percent BVA - DOXA

3.1 Italian market structure and annual production

The ATECO heading used is the same as that used in Part *.*. It can be seen that the number of companies and employment in the sector have both remained stable through the years.

Number of enterprises and employees in the sector of fruit or vegetable juice production, including vegetable milk Italy, ****-****, units Source: ****

******** Juices of other single fruits or vegetables, unfermented, unconcentrated, without added alcohol ******** Other fruit or vegetable juices not elsewhere specified, whether or not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter

These headings exclude juices of tomato, apple, citrus including orange, pineapple, grapefruit or pomelo, and grape.

We see that this production is quite unstable: it peaked at ***.* million in **** and then fell in **** to ***.* million and increased again in **** with ***.* million produced.

Annual production of fruit or vegetable juices, including vegetable milks Italy, ****-****, in millions of euros Source: ****

3.2 Production value chain

Source: ****

3.3 Italian raw material structure and imports

Italy produces rice, oats, almonds and hazelnuts in significant quantities, which are used to produce four different vegetable milks. However, the coconuts and soybeans used to produce two other vegetable milks are not produced in Italy, and are therefore imported from other countries.

The ATECO codes related to the cultivation of raw materials for vegetable milks in Italy are as follows

**.**.** "Cultivation of cereals (***)," which includes, among others, the cultivation of oats **.**.** "Growing of rice" **.**.** "Cultivation of other fruit trees, berries and nuts," which includes, among others, the cultivation of almonds and hazelnuts

Annual harvested production of plant milk raw materials Italy, ****-****, millions of quintals Source: ****

it can be seen that these productions remain very stable in Italy over the years.

Annual harvested production of rice Italy, ****-****, million quintals Source: ****

Geographical distribution

The table below shows the geographic distribution of these productions. The specialties of each region can be observed: Rice is grown mainly in Piedmont and Lombardy (***). Italy, ****, in hectares [***]

**** "Nuts, edible; coconuts, Brazil nuts and cashew nuts, fresh or dried, whether or not shelled or peeled." ****"Soybeans; whether or not broken."

Italy mainly imports coconuts for coconut milk production from Vietnam (***).

Origins of coconut imports Italy, ...

4.1 Type of products

There are several types of vegetable milk, which we list in the table below.

[***]

4.2 Prices at sale

[***]

5.1 The mention of milk

Since ****, plant milk producers have been forced to change the names previously used to designate their products. A ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union restricted the use of the name "milk" for commercial and advertising purposes to milk of animal origin.[***] The prohibition imposed on manufacturers has a broader scope, as it covers other names such as "cream," "whipped cream," "cheese," "butter," and "yogurt," which are thus reserved exclusively for products derived from milk of animal origin.

However, the Court has provided some exceptions for certain products, sometimes under very specific conditions.[***] These exceptions include:

Almond milk Coconut milk Cream of corn Cream of rice Cream of oats

The name cream can be used for soups and liqueurs that do not contain milk or other dairy products, possibly imitated.

5.2 The European Common Agricultural Policy

This common policy represents the set of rules the European Union intended to give itself by recognizing the centrality of the agricultural sector to the equitable and stable development of member countries. Launched in ****, it pursues the following objectives:

to support farmers and improve agricultural productivity by ensuring a stable supply of food at affordable prices protect EU farmers so that they can have a reasonable standard of living to help address climate change and the sustainable management of natural resources preserve rural areas and landscapes throughout the EU keep the rural economy alive by promoting employment in agriculture, agri-food industries and associated sectors

The CAP is a policy common to all EU countries, managed and financed at the European level with resources from the EU budget.

More details on the operation, nature and organization of the European CAP can be read at this link.

5.3 Organic farming legislation

In Europe, the regulation of organic farming is regulated by Regulation (***) No. ***/****.[***] This, however, is not the first time the sector has been regulated; in fact, the first EU regulation on the subject dates back to the year ****, which limited the method for organic production to agricultural products only, excluding the field of oil and wine production and even the livestock department. However, the procedures and standards for the process of checking products and regarding their labeling were already in place.

The following year with Regulation No. ****/**[***]

Finally, with EC Regulation No. ****/** , importance is given to complete product traceability and transparency in production and marketing.[***]