Milan-Rimini, 8-12 May 2017 - UNIDO ITPO Italy has actively participated  in two key fairs in the agri-food sector, with a resonance on both a national and an international level, namely TUTTOFOOD and MACFRUT. This has been an excellent opportunity to promote and enhance the enormous potential of Mozambique in the whole production chain. The activities carried out within this framework have been conceived to be in synergy with the path UNIDO ITPO Italy has undertaken so far through the implementation of the project "Support to Mozambique’s SMEs in Investment Promotion", designed for the benefit of the African country and aimed to facilitate the adoption and the transfer of new technologies and to enhance the know-how and the access to international partnerships for local entrepreneurs.

From 8 to 11 May, TUTTOFOOD took place in Milano – Rho Fiera, in the framework of Milano Food City. It was attended by almost 3000 exhibitors and more than 80 thousand certified professionals from 141 countries, resulting in over 30.000 BtoB meetings arranged in the framework of the event. The fair, marked by a significant international participation, represents today a noteworthy pole of attraction by addressing all the actors along the agri-food supply chain and proving to be an effective showcase for innovative products. In this framework, UNIDO ITPO Italy, in cooperation with the organizers of the event, has facilitated and supported the participation of 4 business representatives from Mozambique and 2 from Pakistan, engaged in the field of production and distribution of foodstuffs.

The participation in the fair was highlighted by the conference organized by ITPO Italy: "Challenges and Opportunities for the Agrofood Sector in Developing Countries: Focus on Mozambique", featuring the participation of the Mozambican Embassy in Italy, represented by Counsellor Inacio Muzime.  The purpose of th event was to present and discuss the investment opportunities in the country, emphasizing the key role of UNIDO ITPO Italy as an honest broker, committed to encourage the establishment of virtuous partnerships and synergies among leading actors in the agri-food sector.

With the same agenda, UNIDO ITPO Italy took part on May 11 and 12 to the 34^th edition of MACFRUT, The International Fruit and Veg Professional Show, supporting a delegation made of the representatives of 7 Mozambican companies. Macfrut is a fast growing fair, which is today one of the leading events in the fruit and vegetable sector worldwide. During the 2017 edition, it recorded outstanding levels of participation, with 1100 exhibitors representing the whole supply chain and roughly 40 thousand visitors.

The Mozambican companies supported during the event, namely Agropecuária Olinda Fondo, Frutas do Revue, Quinta Irini, Yogò, Kuvanga, Citrum and Sombras Matshinhe, whose activities range from  agricultural production to fertilizers and fruit and vegetables processing, were selected by UNIDO ITPO Italy on the basis of an accurate assessment of the profiles and the projects presented.

Cynosure of the 2017 edition of MACFRUT has been once again a special sensitivity to Africa related issues and to its opportunities in the agribusiness sector. Indeed, this has been the keynote topic during the round table organized by UNIDO ITPO Italy and LegaCoop Emilia-Romagna, bringing together the representatives of the Mozambican companies attending the fair, Simona Caselli, Regional Minister for Agriculture Emilia-Romagna, Renzo Piraccini, President of Macfrut and Counsellor Inacio Muzime, on behalf of the Mozambican Embassy in Italy.

The meeting focused chiefly on the discussion and planning of common synergies on Mozambique. As a matter of fact, the country retains a strategic importance for Emilia-Romagna region, it could be potentially interesting for MACFRUT, it has been benefitting from activities in support of local actors promoted by UNIDO ITPO Italy since 2016 and it is particularly relevant for LegaCoop, since the cooperative system constitutes the very basis of the business structure of the Mozambican producers.

The representatives of the companies, thanks to the BtoB meetings arranged in the framework of the event, had the possibility to exchange views on technical and commercial matters with the exhibitors that attended the fair, identifying technologies potentially crucial for the development of their activities and paving the way for future partnerships, that will be monitored during the follow up that will be performed by UNIDO ITPO Italy in the forthcoming months.