Italy Plant Protein Market

Italy Plant Protein Market Overview:

The Italy plant protein market size reached USD 456.30 Million in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach USD 934.58 Million by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 7.70% during 2025-2033. The Italy plant protein market is driven by increasing consumer demand for sustainable and health-conscious food choices, government initiatives supporting plant-based agriculture, advancements in plant-based food technology, rising vegetarian and flexitarian populations, and major food brands expanding their plant-based product lines to cater to evolving dietary preferences.

Italy Plant Protein Market Trends:

Increasing Domestic Production of Plant-Based Proteins

Italy has registered a significant rise in the cultivation of protein crops, indicating a strategic move towards increasing domestic plant protein production. The production of protein peas grew from 251,175 quintals in 2023 to 310,693 quintals in 2024, showing considerable growth, as indicated by statistics from the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat). Likewise, the production of grain peas went up from 122,353 quintals in 2023 to 96,131 quintals in 2024. Other legumes like lentils and chickpeas also went up in their production during the same time. For example, the production of lentils increased from 45,647 quintals in 2023 to 55,930 quintals in 2024, whereas the production of chickpeas surged from 240,363 quintals to 264,749 quintals over the same period. This growth in legume cultivation reflects a collective push to expand the country's supply of plant proteins. The growth in domestic production not only decreases dependence on imports but also encourages local agriculture and helps to make the food supply chain sustainable. These trends are in line with national agricultural policies that encourage crop diversification and address the increasing consumer demand for plant-based protein sources.

Rising Consumer Demand for Healthier and Sustainable Food Options

Italian consumers are increasingly giving importance to health and sustainability in their food choices, and as a result, there has been a rise in demand for plant-based protein foods. This is fueled by growing awareness about the health advantages linked with plant-based diets, such as lower risks of chronic diseases, and increasing concern for environmental sustainability. Although there are limited specific statistics regarding consumer consumption habits after 2022, the increasing trend in the production of legumes and plant-based foods indicates a similar rise in consumer demand. The emphasis of the Italian government on encouraging healthy consumption patterns and sustainable farming also validates this trend. Public education initiatives promoting the health benefits of plant-based diets, along with policy interventions that incentivize the cultivation and consumption of sustainable food items, are supporting this trend. Consequently, Italy's market for plant-based protein products is increasing, with greater numbers of consumers including these in their diets, thus fueling the growth of the industry.

Italy Plant Protein Market Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the market, along with forecasts at the region/country level for 2025-2033. Our report has categorized the market based on source, type, nature, and application.

Source Insights:

• Soy
• Wheat
• Pea
• Others

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the source. This includes soy, wheat, pea, and others.

Type Insights:

• Concentrates
• Isolates
• Textured

A detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the type have also been provided in the report. This includes concentrates, isolates, and textured.

Nature Insights:

• Conventional
• Organic

A detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the nature have also been provided in the report. This includes conventional and organic.

Application Insights:

• Food
  • Meat Alternatives
  • Dairy Alternatives
  • Bakery Products
  • Performance Nutrition
  • Convenience Foods
  • Others
• Feed

A detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the application have also been provided in the report. This includes food (meat alternatives, dairy alternatives, bakery products, performance nutrition, convenience foods, and others) and feed.

Regional Insights:

• Northwest
• Northeast
• Central
• South
• Others

The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of all the major regional markets, which include Northwest, Northeast, Central, South, and others.

Competitive Landscape:

The market research report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape. Competitive analysis such as market structure, key player positioning, top winning strategies, competitive dashboard, and company evaluation quadrant has been covered in the report. Also, detailed profiles of all major companies have been provided.

Italy Plant Protein Market News:

• October 2024: Dreamfarm, an Italian brand, introduced a plant-based ricotta substitute, produced using almonds and cashews, which increased Italy's market for plant proteins by providing a sustainable dairy alternative. The investment of €5 million by the company in production and R&D helped in the expansion of plant-based alternatives to cheese. Increasing consumer demand for healthier, clean-label options is propelling innovation in Italy's plant protein market.
• May 2024: Ferrero introduced a plant-based Nutella in Italy, substituting milk powder with a plant-based ingredient to address the increasing demand for dairy-free products. This move by a leading brand made plant-based protein products more accessible to consumers. Increasing demand for flexitarian diets and sustainable food options is fueling Italy's plant protein market.

Italy Plant Protein Market Report Coverage:

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

• How has the Italy plant protein market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?
• What is the breakup of the Italy plant protein market on the basis of source?
• What is the breakup of the Italy plant protein market on the basis of type?
• What is the breakup of the Italy plant protein market on the basis of nature?
• What is the breakup of the Italy plant protein market on the basis of application?
• What are the various stages in the value chain of the Italy plant protein market? 
• What are the key driving factors and challenges in the Italy plant protein?
• What is the structure of the Italy plant protein market and who are the key players?
• What is the degree of competition in the Italy plant protein market? 

Key Benefits for Stakeholders:

• IMARC’s industry report offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various market segments, historical and current market trends, market forecasts, and dynamics of the Italy plant protein market from 2019-2033.
• The research report provides the latest information on the market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the Italy plant protein market.
• Porter's five forces analysis assist stakeholders in assessing the impact of new entrants, competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, and the threat of substitution. It helps stakeholders to analyze the level of competition within the Italy plant protein industry and its attractiveness.
• Competitive landscape allows stakeholders to understand their competitive environment and provides an insight into the current positions of key players in the market.