Macfrut 2026: how Italy is turning fruit and vegetables into a global platform for trade, technology and agrifood diplomacy

The international fruit and vegetable trade fair Macfrut 2026, held annually in Rimini, Italy, showed that today’s fresh produce business is no longer just about growing and selling fruit and vegetables. It is a complex system in which products are linked to geopolitics, export diplomacy, water efficiency, biostimulants, robotics, sustainable crop protection, packaging, retail, local identity and a country’s ability to promote its own agrifood model on the global market, EastFruit reports.

The 43rd edition of Macfrut took place on 21-23 April 2026 at the Rimini Expo Centre and became one of the most international editions in the event’s history. According to the organisers, the fair recorded a more than 12% increase in foreign buyers and visitors, with buyers representing over 80 countries. Earlier, Macfrut had announced the participation of more than 800 leading buyers, exhibitors from five continents and around 100 events within the business programme.

In 2026, Macfrut positioned itself more clearly than ever as a global platform for the entire fruit and vegetable supply chain. This was reflected in the structure of the event: pre-harvest technologies, post-harvest solutions, nurseries, biosolutions, digital technologies, packaging, logistics, healthy nutrition, spices and herbs, start-ups, agrivoltaics, mangoes and avocados as the key products of the year, and a special international focus on the Caribbean region.

Italy shows that fresh produce is a matter of national strategy

For Italy, Macfrut 2026 became a showcase for one of the key sectors of the country’s agrifood economy. According to data presented by the organisers, the Italian fruit and vegetable sector is worth around €19 billion and accounts for 27% of national agricultural production. Together with vegetable processing, it generates 18% of Italy’s agrifood exports.

In 2025, Italian fruit and vegetable exports increased by 11.2%, reaching €6.4 billion in January-November. Italy ranks third among European exporters after Spain and the Netherlands. Particularly significant is the fact that Italy’s five main export markets for fresh produce also showed growth: Germany by 30.3%, France by 10.2%, Austria by 6.7%, Switzerland by 5.5% and Spain by 4.4%. Among the fastest-growing destinations were Egypt, Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Saudi Arabia.

Italy treats the fruit and vegetable sector as an instrument of export policy, international cooperation, technological influence and agricultural diplomacy. Italy’s Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida, stated that more than €2 billion in direct resources are available for fruit and vegetable supply chains and Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan. These resources are expected to generate almost €3 billion in investment, in addition to measures related to energy, agrisolar systems and logistics.

Sicily, Calabria and the power of regional products with protected origin

The Italian context of Macfrut 2026 was built not only around export scale, but also around regional diversity.

Ten Italian regions took part in the exhibition: Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Piedmont, Apulia, Sardinia, Sicily and Umbria. Sicily was the partner region. More than 263,000 hectares are planted with fruit and vegetable crops in Sicily, representing 22% of the national area, while production reaches 4.6 million tonnes, or 19% of Italy’s total output. Sicily was also presented as a leader in organic production, with around 47,000 hectares of organic farmland.

Calabria and its regional products with protected geographical indication were no less interesting. Macfrut 2026 featured the Bergamot Consortium, the Consortium for the Protection of PGI Clementines of Calabria, the Consortium for the Protection of PGI Rocca Imperiale Lemon and the Consortium for the Protection of PGI Tropea Red Onion of Calabria. This demonstrated the Italian model, in which a regional product is promoted through origin, protected designation, processing, gastronomy, tourism and a carefully developed communication story.

“Bergamot, clementines, Rocca Imperiale lemon, Tropea red onion, PGI Sicilian blood orange, Trevi black celery and other local products at Macfrut essentially showed one of Italy’s main competitive strategies: not simply selling a ‘fruit’ or a ‘vegetable’, but turning it into territory, culture, quality and a premium story. For producers in Eastern Europe, this was an excellent example of how premium value is created and protected on the European market. It is formed not only by variety or taste, but also by the ability to connect a product with a region, reputation, sustainable production, processing and consistent communication with the consumer,” says Kateryna Zvierieva, Development Director of the Ukrainian Horticultural Association.

Mangoes and avocados: no longer exotic, but a new market category

Mangoes and avocados were the flagship products of Macfrut 2026. Within the “Mango & Avocado Explosion” programme, these crops were discussed not as an exotic niche, but as fast-growing global supply chains with their own breeding, logistics, processing, fresh-cut products, hotel and restaurant channels, retail networks, post-harvest technologies and growing prospects in southern Italy.

According to data presented at Macfrut, global mango production already exceeds 60 million tonnes and has grown by 50% over the past 15 years. During the same period, global mango exports increased from 1.5 million to 2.2 million tonnes. India remains the largest producer, with 26 million tonnes, or 43% of global production, while Mexico is the leading exporter, with more than 450,000 tonnes.

The European mango market is also continuing to grow. Imports into Europe have increased by 110% over the past 15 years, reaching 444,500 tonnes in 2025. At the same time, experts at Macfrut stressed that further category growth will depend not only on demand, but also on climate risks, quality, product positioning and logistics resilience.

Avocado became a separate topic on the second day of the fair. According to the World Avocado Organisation, Europe imported 1 million tonnes of avocados in 2025, while average annual per capita consumption increased from 0.8 kg to 1.8 kg over 10 years. In Italy, consumption reached 1.12 kg per person in 2025, while retail sales amounted to 55,000 tonnes, up 28% year on year. Supermarkets remain the main sales channel, accounting for 87.3% of purchases.

For Italy, mangoes and avocados are becoming not only an import category, but also a possible southern specialisation. On the closing day of Macfrut, participants discussed the prospects for growing these crops in southern Italy, especially in Sicily. According to Fruitimprese, the association of Italian fruit and vegetable trading companies, Italy is Europe’s seventh-largest mango importer: from 2011 to 2025, imports increased by 412% in volume and by 556% in value. For avocados, Italy ranks fifth in Europe by import volume, while over the past 15 years imports have grown by 367% in volume and by 700% in value.

Between 2024 and 2025, mango purchases in Italy increased by 67% in volume and by 60% in value, while prices fell by 4%. Over the same period, avocados grew by 39% in volume and by 40% in value, with prices remaining almost stable.

It is noteworthy that representatives of retail chains also took part in the discussion on the future of mangoes and avocados in Italy. Coop and Conad, in particular, highlighted the growing role of these products in modern retail. A Conad representative noted that avocado has already overtaken pineapple in the turnover of exotic fruits, while a Coop representative confirmed a 60% increase in avocado volumes over the past four years.

International context: the Caribbean, Peru, Africa, AICS and agrifood diplomacy

Macfrut 2026 was especially strong in its international dimension. The Caribbean region was the international focus of the fair, while the Dominican Republic presented a 400-square-metre stand featuring producers, exporters of tropical fruits, institutions and supply chain operators. Cuba, Costa Rica, Colombia and Ecuador also participated in the exhibition. South America was represented by Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Peru, with Brazil and Peru taking part with their own national stands for the first time.

Peru’s participation was particularly notable, as the country presented a national stand at Macfrut for the first time in 2026. For a country that has already become one of the world’s key players in avocados, mangoes, blueberries and grapes, participation in Rimini was a logical step towards strengthening direct contacts with European importers, retail chains and technology companies.

The African presence was also significant. According to Macfrut, around 20 countries from sub-Saharan Africa confirmed their participation, primarily interested in Italian technologies, practical expertise and equipment for developing fruit and vegetable supply chains.

Another important element of the international agenda was the stand of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo – AICS. The agency presented a 300-square-metre stand with the participation of 10 overseas offices, including Tirana, Bogotá, San Salvador, Havana, Tunis, Jerusalem, Beirut, Maputo, Kampala and Hanoi. The AICS programme included thematic panels on agroecology, rural development and financial instruments for sustainable development.

“Macfrut 2026 showed that fruit and vegetable trade is increasingly connected with international development, sustainable supply chains, food security and technological cooperation. Italy is effectively positioning itself as a partner for countries that need not only sales markets, but also technologies, training, water solutions, post-harvest infrastructure, packaging and organisational models to modernise the sector,” says Kateryna Zvierieva.

Biosolutions, biofertilisers and biostimulants: sustainability becomes technology

One of the most important areas of Macfrut 2026 was the Biosolutions and Digital Technologies zone. This specialised section was designed for producers, agronomists, technical specialists and operators across the fruit and vegetable supply chain who need solutions in crop protection, plant nutrition, biostimulation, decision-support systems, artificial intelligence, robotics and drones.

Macfrut had placed biosolutions at the centre of industry discussion well before the event. According to a study by Agri 2000 Net, presented in the context of the fair, 84% of more than 200 surveyed Italian fruit and vegetable growers already use biosolutions. This figure is important because it shows that biosolutions are no longer a niche topic, but are becoming part of the mainstream technological model of fruit and vegetable production.

Among biosolutions for crop protection, the most widely used are biofungicides, pheromones and bioinsecticides. In plant nutrition, farmers are increasingly using organic fertilisers, soil improvers and biostimulants. This is especially relevant amid climate stress, the reduction of available active substances in the EU, rising retail requirements and the need to reduce environmental impact without sacrificing quality or yield.

Macfrut also hosted a technical seminar titled “Opportunities for Sustainable Trade in Biofertilisers between the EU and Argentina”, dedicated to sustainable trade in biofertilisers between Argentina and the EU. Its focus included organic production, sustainability standards, regulatory challenges and market opportunities for biofertilisers, with a special emphasis on microbial biostimulants. The seminar was organised by the International Italo-Latin American Organisation and Italy’s Council for Agricultural Research and Economics in the framework of the EU-Latin America Green Investments programme, ALL-INVEST Verde.

Biostimulants were also discussed as a tool for adapting to climate stress. The event “Biostimulants: Innovative and Essential Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture” underlined their role in reducing abiotic stress, which is intensifying as a result of climate change.

It was also significant that the biosolutions area featured companies representing different directions of the new technological agenda in the fresh produce sector. Koppert Italia represented biocontrol, natural pollination and the shift from “pest control” to agroecosystem management. LABIN and Alba Milagro International demonstrated another important direction: plant nutrition, biostimulation, soil improvers and tools to increase crop resilience to stress.

Manica S.p.A. represented the crop protection segment, where solutions for integrated and organic production remain particularly important.

Artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, robots and drones: technology is already in the field, not just in presentations

Macfrut 2026 showed that digitalisation in the fruit and vegetable sector is becoming a practical necessity. On the second day of the fair, a practical seminar was held at the Innovation Arena, organised with the Polytechnic University of Turin and the University of Bologna. The discussion focused on soil and plant sensors, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and real-time data management.

One of the key conclusions of this discussion was that agribusiness companies can no longer limit themselves to simply collecting data. Data must be accurate, agronomically useful and integrated into decision-making systems. This means reducing costs, diagnosing stress, monitoring leaves, stems, soil and the surrounding environment, and improving the efficiency and resilience of production.

On the closing day of Macfrut, attention turned to robotics and drones in the field. Autonomous solutions, mechanisation, crop monitoring, precision agriculture and the automation of operations were discussed. For Europe, where labour shortages are becoming a systemic problem, this is no longer a futuristic topic, but one of the key factors of competitiveness.

Water, agrivoltaics and pre-harvest technologies: sustainability begins before harvest

Macfrut 2026 covered the entire supply chain, with pre-harvest technologies playing an important role. The Acqua Campus was dedicated to water efficiency and innovative water management systems. This is especially relevant for southern Europe, where droughts, heatwaves and competition for water resources are increasingly affecting production costs and stability.

The programme also included a separate section on Agrisolar Systems & Technologies, as well as a discussion titled “Agriculture and Energy: An Alliance for the Future through Agrivoltaics.” This shows that energy is becoming part of the economic resilience of the fruit and vegetable business. Greenhouses, cold stores, pumps, irrigation systems, sorting lines and post-harvest infrastructure all require an increasingly sophisticated energy strategy.

Tomatoes, herbs and infusions: Macfrut highlighted more than the fresh market

Macfrut 2026 also paid attention to other categories that show how consumption patterns are changing. On the closing day of the exhibition, the fresh-market tomato supply chain was discussed. Italy maintains a high level of self-sufficiency in fresh-market tomatoes – 96% by volume in 2025. According to data presented at Macfrut, tomatoes account for 6% of Italy’s vegetable-growing area, or 25,712 hectares in 2025, and generate significant value in agricultural production.

Another interesting niche was herbs, spices and infusions. At Macfrut, it was stated that 7 million cups of herbal infusions are consumed daily in Italy, while the global infusions market exceeded $5 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow by 7.5%. This is a good example of how a fruit and vegetable fair is expanding its focus from fresh produce to the broader market for health-oriented products, healthy nutrition, natural ingredients, medicinal plants and value-added products.

CREA: breeding, strawberries, citrus, assisted evolution technologies and crop protection

Italy’s Council for Agricultural Research and Economics used Macfrut 2026 as a platform to demonstrate the role of science in the development of the fruit and vegetable sector. CREA’s programme included a pomological exhibition of new strawberry and citrus varieties, meetings with experts, a focus on innovation in breeding and horticultural technologies, sustainability and crop protection, as well as a demonstration of dogs trained for the early detection of plant threats.

At the CREA stand in the nursery area, promising strawberry and citrus selections were presented, including new strawberry varieties, late-ripening red-fleshed citrus fruits, lemons with low seed content and tolerance to citrus mal secco disease, as well as ornamental and patented CREA OFA citrus hybrids.

Confagricoltura: competitiveness means labour, geopolitics, energy and drones

Confagricoltura used Macfrut 2026 as a platform to discuss systemic challenges facing the Italian fruit and vegetable sector: competitiveness, rising costs, labour shortages, climate risks, geopolitics, new markets, agrivoltaics, regenerative agriculture and digitalisation.

Confagricoltura’s programme included events such as “From Organic to Regenerative Agriculture: New Frontiers for Vegetable Growers” and “Italian Fruit and Vegetables: Winning the Competitiveness Challenge.” It also participated in the discussion on agrivoltaics, the presentation of Italmercati’s Wholesale Markets Advisory Council, a practical Foragri seminar on workforce training and the Avocado and Mango Days panels.

At Macfrut 2026, Confagricoltura showed that competitiveness in the fruit and vegetable sector today is formed far beyond the orchard or greenhouse. A producer may have a high-quality product and market demand, but still face other constraints: unstable logistics, the closure of trade routes, labour shortages, slow regulation of new technologies and rising operating costs.

This is why geopolitics, drones and labour were not treated as separate topics in Confagricoltura’s agenda, but as parts of one picture. Crises in the Middle East can disrupt export channels that businesses have spent years building. Drones and digital tools are already becoming part of Agriculture 4.0, but their wider adoption requires faster authorisation procedures. Labour shortages remain a problem no less serious than labour costs, which is why Confagricoltura is promoting ConfagriJob as a digital tool for recruiting staff in the agricultural sector.

Coldiretti: assisted evolution technologies, digitalisation and supply chain contracts

Coldiretti focused its activities on the theme “Italian Fruit and Vegetables of the Future: Innovation, Assisted Evolution Technologies and Supply Chain Contracts.” The event addressed some of the most urgent issues for the sector: geopolitical tensions, rising production costs, the consequences of climate change and the digitalisation of fruit and vegetable companies.

For Coldiretti, the key focus is strengthening supply chains, digitalisation and innovation, including assisted evolution technologies. The Italian fruit and vegetable sector is not looking for isolated solutions, but for new formats for organising the entire chain: from genetics and cultivation to processing, contracts, retail networks and the promotion of the Made in Italy brand.

CIA: exports are growing, but without people the sector risks losing momentum

CIA-Agricoltori Italiani raised one of the most painful issues for the sector at Macfrut: the shortage of labour. According to the organisation, Italian fruit and vegetable exports grew by 11% in value and 8% in volume, reaching 4 million tonnes, but the sector lacks more than 120,000 skilled workers and trainees under the age of 30.

CIA proposed a number of practical measures: simplifying contract procedures, introducing more flexible digital tools for seasonal and temporary work, reforming migration flows, moving away from the emergency logic of the “click day”, creating “green corridors” for workers from third countries and establishing a digital agricultural one-stop shop to simplify bureaucratic procedures.

CIA also linked the labour problem to rising costs for diesel and fertilisers, especially nitrogen fertilisers, against the backdrop of energy and geopolitical risks.

Retail chains and post-harvest infrastructure: buyers want stability, not just products

Macfrut 2026 also highlighted the growing role of retail chains. The organisers emphasised the participation of Conad, Coop Italia and Gruppo VéGé as three major players in modern fresh produce retail.

European retail is increasingly shaping standards for quality, packaging, origin, sustainability, traceability, supply stability and post-harvest solutions. In this context, sorting, cooling, packaging, controlled atmosphere, processing and quality control technologies are no longer secondary infrastructure. They are part of a producer’s commercial offer.

Ukraine at Macfrut: part of the export work of the fresh produce sector

Ukrainian fruit and vegetable producers and exporters have been coming to Macfrut for several years, using the fair as a working platform for negotiations, technology scouting and competitor analysis. In 2026, representatives of the Ukrainian fruit and vegetable business also came to Rimini, including members of the Ukrainian Horticultural Association led by its president, Taras Bashtannyk.

“For Ukrainian companies, Macfrut is important above all because of its practical concentration. In one place, it is possible to see not only potential buyers and importers, but also solutions that directly affect export costs and product quality: sorting and calibration lines, packaging, refrigeration equipment, technologies for extending freshness, post-harvest treatment, irrigation systems, biostimulants, biological crop protection, nurseries, new varieties and processing equipment,” says Taras Bashtannyk.

Technologies that help reduce post-harvest losses and stabilise batch quality are especially important for Ukraine. For berries, apples, stone fruit, vegetables and processed products, this is a prerequisite for entering more demanding sales channels.

“The European buyer expects not only a competitive price, but also product uniformity, predictable volumes, certification, proper packaging, a cold chain and the supplier’s ability to fulfil agreements on time. In the conditions of war, expensive logistics, a shortage of investment and labour constraints, it is especially important for the Ukrainian fruit and vegetable business to see which technologies competitors are already using, which products Mediterranean and Latin American countries are promoting, how industry associations operate, what biosolution suppliers offer and what requirements European retail is shaping,” adds Kateryna Zvierieva.

Macfrut gives producers an opportunity to quickly compare their own position with the market and understand where they need to strengthen – in quality, packaging, storage, processing, certification or origin-based marketing.