Coronavirus (COVID-19) issues affecting food industry Italy 2020

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 78 percent of Italian companies in the food industry faced a significant order decrease. According to a survey, the outsourcing of external services was difficult. For instance, 25 percent of companies were not able to find this type of providers, and especially transport. Moreover, the cancellation of trade fairs was an issue for 19 percent of the asked entrepreneurs. These events are important occasions to sign new contracts and meet partners. Furthermore, similar issues were faced by companies operating in the agriculture sector.Changing plans amid uncertaintiesApart from trade fairs, many other events were canceled or postponed in Italy. Most organizers thought to host events starting only from October 2020. However, a lot of concern surrounded the rescheduling of events, especially the fear of a new COVID-19 wave in the fall.Major events affectedIn 2020, Italy should have hosted almost two hundred international exhibitions across 11 different regions. These events would have brought visitors and visibility to the cities hosting them and to the country. International exhibitions happening in Italy would have centered mostly on textile and fashion.

鉴于冠状病毒（COVID-19）大流行，意大利食品行业中有78%的企业面临显著订单下降。一项调查显示，外包外部服务颇为棘手。例如，25%的企业未能找到此类供应商，尤其是运输服务提供商。此外，19%的受访企业家指出，贸易展会的取消成为一大问题。此类活动是签订新合同和结识合作伙伴的重要场合。此外，农业领域的运营企业也面临着类似的问题。在不确定性中调整计划除了贸易展会，意大利许多其他活动亦被取消或推迟。大多数组织者计划从2020年10月开始举办活动。然而，对活动的重新安排充满忧虑，尤其是对于秋季可能出现的COVID-19新波次的恐惧。受影响的大型活动在2020年，意大利本应在其11个不同地区举办近200场国际展览。这些活动本应吸引游客和提升举办城市及国家的知名度。在意大利举办的国际展览主要聚焦于纺织和时尚领域。