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Food
Export
Intesa Sanpaolo

Food & Beverage: Growth, Stability, and New Strategies for the Global Market

Sector resilience, export growth, and selectivity in M&A transactions
22.06.2026
fruition time: 10 min
Laura Asperti, Head of Industry Food & Beverage and Distribution




As highlighted in this latest edition of the Food Summit, the Food & Beverage sector continues to be a cornerstone of the global economy, despite the current market environment being characterized by high volatility and geopolitical instability. In this scenario, Italy plays a central role thanks to the strength of Made in Italy, with record results in terms of exports and an increasingly competitive position in international markets.

M&A remains a key lever for companies to accelerate growth, with increasingly selective strategies focused on scalable and profitable core businesses.



FOOD & BEVERAGE: GLOBAL GROWTH AND STRUCTURAL STRENGTH
 

By 2025, the value of the global Food & Beverage industry reached $8.5 trillion, up approximately 6% from 2024, with expectations of average annual growth of about 5% through 20301.

This development is supported by structural drivers such as global population growth, the shift in consumer spending toward higher-value-added products, and demand that remains solid and largely predictable. These characteristics make the sector countercyclical—with stable revenues and predictable cash flows and more resilient than other industrial sectors.



SELECTIVITY, EXPANSION, AND NEW M&A PRIORITIES
 

The M&A strategies of global players are becoming increasingly selective and focused on optimizing portfolios, including through the divestiture of non-core assets in favor of more strategic, scalable, and profitable businesses. In the Italian market, however, international growth and generational transition represent the main drivers of M&A transactions.

There is also growing focus on certain specific categories such as bakery, coffee, and the healthy segment, and interest in the ingredients sector remains strong, while geographically the U.S. market remains a priority with growing interest in Africa.

M&A remains the primary tool for accelerating growth, supporting success stories, and fostering their development.

 

FOCUS ON RELATIONSHIPS AND SUPPORT FOR PRODUCTION CHAINS
 

As noted by Laura Asperti, Head of Industry Food & Beverage and Distribution, Intesa Sanpaolo provided approximately 86 billion euros in medium- to long-term financing to businesses and households in 2025, with a 2026–2029 Business Plan that calls for the provision of an additional 370 billion euros in new medium- to long-term credit2.

In this context, Intesa Sanpaolo, through its IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division, reaffirms its commitment to supporting businesses and investors as they drive the growth of Italy’s economy and entrepreneurial ecosystem and production supply chains through tangible development projects.

 

SOURCE

1 Euromonitor analysis

2 Intesa Sanpaolo business plan

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION

The agri-food sector clearly remains a key pillar of the economy, even on a global scale, and has proven capable of ensuring the continuity of supply chains even during periods of great volatility and geopolitical instability. Statistically speaking, this sector reached 8.5 trillion dollars in global value in 2025, representing a 6% increase from the previous year, and is projected to grow by 5% annually through 2030.

This growth is clearly driven by structural factors—some of which have already been mentioned—but foremost among these are global population growth, consumers' increasing preference for higher value-added products, and, of course, demand that remains strong and predictable. These are factors that make the sector much less cyclical and more resilient than other industries.

The M&A strategies of global players are strongly focused on optimizing their portfolios, including through drastic decisions to divest non-core assets in favour of scalable, profitable, and strategic businesses. In Italy, however, M&A activity is largely driven by generational transitions and internationalization efforts, and thus by international expansion.
Interest is definitely growing in various segments, including, as Gregorio noted earlier, bakery, ingredients, healthy products and coffee.
There will also be significant activity in the coffee industry, while from a geographic market perspective, the U.S. market certainly remains stable, highly attractive, and undoubtedly one of the most promising regions for this sector—even as we begin to expand into new continents, including Africa, which has been the subject of much discussion.

 

In 2025, Intesa Sanpaolo provided 86 billion euros in medium- to long-term loans to businesses and households—16 billion more than the previous year—60% of which was allocated to the domestic market.

And the 2026–2029 plan calls for over 370 billion euros in new credit to support households and businesses. Our main pillar remains the corporate sector—a sector that, through the IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division, we support and continue to back not only at the entrepreneurial level but also by supporting investors who, like us, believe in the strength of our country and its supply chains, and who want to support concrete development projects in both the food sector and across other industries.

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