Avec: the European poultry market is growing but calls for greater investment in innovation

The 68th General Assembly of Avec, the European Association of Poultry Producers, took stock of an expanding sector driven by growing consumption despite its challenges.

At the heart of the assembly's proceedings, hosted in Sorrento by the Italian sector association Unaitalia, was the theme “Building the future through innovation” focusing on AI and innovation throughout the poultry supply chain, production sustainability, market development and the role of the consumer.

A growing sector

The trend in the sector is illustrated by data presented by Nan-Dirk Mulder of Rabobank: in the EU, poultry production will grow by 2% per year until 2032, while globally an +25% is estimated by 2035, the highest figure among animal proteins. The driving force is strong demand: Avec data show that per-capita consumption in the EU has reached 29,3 kg (+9,3% since 2020), with total consumption increasing by 10,4% over the same period, moving at twice the speed of production (+5,6%).

Hence Avec's call for a European policy that protects food security and encourages domestic production: without a strict principle of reciprocity, the increase in demand risks being covered by non-EU countries, creating a major imbalance for European businesses.

The comments

The proceedings were opened by Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry Francesco Lollobrigida. “We are proud of a strong sector in Europe that is fully self-sufficient in Italy and has chosen to invest courageously in technology, jobs and environmental sustainability. It is essential to strengthen the resilience of our production model based on a non-negotiable principle of reciprocity. With regard to trade agreements such as Mercosur, Italy has called and continues to call for the utmost rigour and clear rules.”

The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen stressed the need for a competitive and profitable poultry supply chain: “The aim is to strengthen competitiveness in order to face foreign competition without fear and expand production to meet demand, ensuring proper profitability throughout the supply chain. Consumers trust EU standards: for this reason, transparency regarding origin is now essential so that every citizen can clearly identify the provenance of what they put on their table.”

Compensation for avian influenza

The bilateral meeting between Lollobrigida and Hansen led to the announcement of the EU's approval of 73,25 million euros for Italy for indirect damage caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza during 2022-2025, which, together with national co-financing, reaches 146,5 million euros to support farmers affected by restrictions due to avian influenza and African swine fever.

Satisfaction with the outcome of the proceedings was expressed by Unaitalia President Antonio Forlini: “In Sorrento these days, we have felt that the European and national institutions are extremely close to our sector and willing to listen to the real needs of a supply chain capable of creating value for the country, employment and food security. The direct dialogue and the concrete results announced on the sidelines of the day's proceedings confirm that cooperation, defending Made in Italy and supporting innovation are the winning path for tackling future challenges.”

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.