Summary

The global butter market has seen substantial growth, with an explosive increase in sales volume and purchase frequency notably starting in 2020. By 2023, the market reached approximately $49.43 billion and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 3.20 percent through 2032, potentially achieving $65.67 billion. Salted butter occupies a significant market share due to its longer shelf life and widespread popularity. The Asia-Pacific region dominates the market with about 45 percent revenue share, propelled by countries like India and China and an increase in fast food and bakery consumption. Europe, meanwhile, is the fastest-growing region within the butter market, with changing consumer preferences and a renewed acceptance of butter over margarine contributing to its market expansion. Italy, a key player in the butter industry, saw a slight decrease in butter production in 2022, yet experienced a surge in the first half of 2023, overcoming the levels of the previous year. Italy remains predominantly an exporter of butter and milk-derived fats with a high volume of imports from countries like the Netherlands and Belgium. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict caused significant price increases within the butter market, with costs doubling from January to May 2022, influenced by supply chain costs, reduced cattle numbers in Europe due to environmental policies, and the rising price of feed from Ukraine. Despite these challenges, signs of price normalization appeared in June 2023, with butter prices showing a 50 percent reduction from the previous year..**Italian Butter Market Trends and Demand Dynamics** The Italian butter market has undergone significant changes and demonstrated a growing appetite for specific types of butter. Recent years have highlighted an increasing trend for lactose-free and organic butter products, pointing to a distinct consumer preference for health-conscious and environmentally sustainable options. This shift is becoming more pronounced, despite these products still occupying smaller niche segments within the broader market. Market data suggests that the butter industry in Italy experienced a considerable boom in 2020, characterized by heightened sales volumes and more frequent purchases. This uptick in market activity indicates a solidifying consumer preference for butter, with the Italian populace integrating it more prominently into their diets and culinary practices. Seasonal patterns affect the butter market in Italy, with winter months, especially December and January, being peak times for butter sales. Consumption across various Italian regions appears relatively uniform, suggesting a widespread acceptance of butter as a pantry staple throughout the country. Supermarkets have emerged as the premier distribution channel for butter, with discount stores following closely. These findings indicate that accessibility and pricing strategies are critical factors influencing butter sales. While the Italian butter market is generally robust, it faced a plateau in recent years, with a slight decline noted in 2022. Production mirrored this trend, regressing modestly from the heights attained in 2018. The dip in production levels and cow's milk deliveries in early 2023 further illustrates the market's delicate balance, affected by fluctuating raw material costs and weather phenomena that challenge dairy farmers. Internationally, Italy stands as a net exporter of butter and derivatives. However, trade dynamics shifted in 2022, with imports seeing a significant rise, likely linked to the need to balance reduced domestic supplies against a backdrop of escalating supply chain costs. On the demand side, Italians' spending on butter seems to be on a mostly upward trajectory with occasional fluctuations. It is important to note that this spending increase is not necessarily due to greater volumes being purchased but could be attributed to inflationary pressures. Economic conditions have also deeply impacted consumer choices. The rise in prices across the food sector has led consumers to adopt a more frugal approach, reducing quantities purchased and switching brands or shopping channels in pursuit of better deals. Households in Northern Italy show the highest average monthly expenditure on butter, suggesting a regional preference that may be influenced by culinary traditions that lean more toward butter usage compared to those in the south. In the supply sphere, the number of active enterprises involved in butter production has dwindled since 2017, decreasing by roughly 17 percent by .### Key Players in the Italian Butter Market: Tradition Meets Innovation The Italian butter market boasts a variety of key players that have set the benchmark for quality, tradition, and innovation in the dairy sector. These companies have carved a niche for themselves by fostering a balance between time-honored production methods and modern technological advances. Let’s explore the notabilities that distinguish each of these prominent market actors. **Egidio Galbani s.r.l.** has become synonymous with quality dairy products in Italy. Founded by its eponymous creator, Galbani prides itself on its historical legacy and adherence to traditional production methods. It is famous for its cheese products and has garnered a reputation for striking the delicate balance between artisanal craftsmanship and modern-day innovation in dairy processing. **Latteria Soresina** is another illustrious name that signifies Italian excellence in dairy manufacturing. With its origins dating back to the turn of the 20th century in Lombardy, Latteria Soresina is recognized for producing distinguished cheeses like Grana Padano and Provolone Valpadana. Centuries of experience have guided their commitment to maintaining the authenticity and superior quality of their dairy products. **Colla s.p.a.** stands proudly amid the ranks as a beacon of quality cheese production. Rooted in Reggio Emilia, Colla has earned high regard for its vast assortment of dairy products complemented by its sustainability ethos. The company artfully blends artisanal processes with cutting-edge technology, ensuring their products are not only of high quality but also honor the millenary Italian dairy traditions. **Ambrosi s.p.a.** represents a paragon of excellence and a dominant force in the global arena for high-quality Italian cheeses and dairy products. Ambrosi is known for exporting beloved Italian cheeses, including Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano, around the world. Ambrosi's commitment to combining traditional methods with innovative techniques has resulted in outstanding dairy products celebrated internationally. **Zarpellon s.p.a.** completes the panorama of prime Italian dairy enterprises, differentiating itself through its focus on crafting traditional Italian cheeses. Zarpellon’s longevity in the market is attributed to its fidelity to conventional cheese-making methods injected with modern innovative practices. It champions the richness of Italian dairy culture, ensuring its products find pride of place both domestically and in foreign markets. Each of these esteemed companies contributes significantly to the Italian butter and broader dairy market, highlighting the country’s reverence for quality, authenticity, and innovation that is recognized and
Get all the information you need
to understand this market

Detailed content

Inforamtion

  • Number of pages : 30 pages
  • Format : Digital and PDF versions
  • Last update : 15/01/2024
Update Details

Summary and extracts

1 Market Overview

1.1 Definition and presentation

Butter is a solid emulsion of fat globules, air and water, obtained by churning milk or cream and used as a food or condiment in cooking or as an ingredient for cosmetic or medicinal products. As far as Italian law is concerned, butter is considered exclusively as a derivative of cow's milk, although there are other types of products such as those derived from buffalo or yak milk.

The world market for butter is expected to grow at a rapid pace with an annual growth rate of 4.52 percent until 2025. This growth is mainly explained by an increase in the use and demand for butter for food processing, but also by a general increase in demand for food products containing butter (e.g., pastries).

After a long period of stability, the butter market underwent a real explosion in 2020, registering a relentless increase not only in terms of sales volume but also in purchase frequency, significantly increasing its penetration among the Italian population.

The Italian butter market is characterized by high seasonality, the winter season, and in particular the months of December and January, being the period when the highest sales volumes are recorded. From a geographical point of view, butter consumption is quite homogeneous among the various Italian regions, showing that this food is increasingly conceived as an essential good by all types of families. In terms of distribution, supermarkets turn out to be Italians' favorite distribution channels for purchasing butter, followed by discount stores.

Among the many factors in the growth of the Italian market, we should definitely include the increased interest in particular types of butter such as lactose-free and organic butter, which, although they still remain market niches, are starting to become increasingly popular among the Italian population.

1.2 The global market

The size of the global butter market reached about $**.** billion in ****. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of *.** percent between **** and ****, reaching a value of about $**.** billion by ****.

Among the different types of butter available worldwide, salted butter holds an important part of the global butter market share. ...

1.3 The Italian market

The Italian butter market showed a slight decline in ****, stabilizing at a similar value to the previous year. Butter production in Italy followed a similar trend, with a modest decrease in **** from the peak reached in ****.

Looking at the graph, it can be seen that butter production undergoes an increase in ...

1.4 Import-Export

Regarding trade, data regarding imports and exports refer to HS code:**** - Butter and other fats and oils derived from milk.

Italy is predominantly an exporter of these products, however, in some periods there were discrete increases in exports against smaller increases in imports. The highest coverage ratio was in ****; thereafter ...

1.5 Impact of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict

The outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the resulting inflation had a significant impact on the dairy industry and thus, also on the butter market.

In the face of shrinking supply andrising production costs there has been an equally extraordinary increase in the price of milk, which has continued to rise ...

2 Demand analysis

2.1 Demand in Italy

Istat's latest findings show a sharp decline in inflation from +*.* percent in May to +*.* percent in June, mainly as a result of falling energy goods prices. The level of inflation remains high, however, as prices of products in the so-called "shopping cart" continue to grow by +**.* percent in June, mainly driven ...

2.2 Demand drivers

Factors that can stimulate demand for butter are diverse, the main ones are listed below.

Food trends: culinary globalization has led to the fusion of flavors and ingredients from around the world. Butter has become a canvas for such global inspirations, with producers and chefs experimenting with flavors that reflect different ...

2.3 The geographical distribution of demand

Based on Istat data, the average monthly household expenditure concerning the item: butter and other oils and fats derived from milk, broken down by macroregion, is shown.

The value of expenditure is highest in northern areas (***), there may be slight price differences for some products, however, it is likely that the ...

3 Market structure

3.1 The market structure

The analysis of the butter market structure is carried out on the basis of data belonging to the category related to ATECO code **.**.* (***). Specifically, three different quantities are considered: number of active enterprises, number of employees, legal form of enterprises.

Looking at the number of active enterprises in the sector from ...

3.2 The value chain

The value chain of butter production includes several stages, which are summarized in the following image.

3.3 Distribution

The prevailing attitude of households detected by Ismea Markets is that of seeking convenience, resulting in brand disloyalty and nomadism between channels, in addition to a generalized reduction in volumes purchased.

The prevailing sales channel by volumes purchased of milk and dairy products remains the Supermarket (***), which accounts for more than ...

3.4 The main actors

The following are the main companies active in the dairy sector in Italy, referable to ATECO code **.**.*(***) and whose activity includes the production of butter.

Egidio Galbani s.r.l: a well-known Italian dairy company specializing in the production of a wide range of dairy products. Founded by Egidio Galbani, the ...

4 Supply analysis

4.1 Supply analysis

Butter is one of the most popular dairy products produced by churning cream or milk. The process is carried out by mechanically stirring the cream, causing the fat molecules to clump together and form butter. The remaining liquid is called buttermilk. The resulting butter is then generally washed and kneaded to ...

4.2 The prices

Following the price surge that took place in ****, there are currently the first signs of subsidence in relation to the dairy sector. Quotations in the first weeks of July confirm the downward trend, but market balance in the second half of the year will also depend on production trends.

With regard ...

4.3 New supply trends

The future of artisanal butter

Artisan butter has always been a mainstay of traditional cuisine. Customization and experimentation are two key words concerning the future prospects of artisanal butter. More and more chefs and culinary enthusiasts are experimenting with artisan butter to create customized versions.

A rise in flavored butter, where ...

5 Regulations

5.1 The legislation

Laws affecting butter, particularly in the European Union and Italy, can include several regulatory areas. The most important ones are listed below.

Definition of the product butter

As specified by Law No. *** of May **, ****, Butter is the product obtained from the cream obtained from cow's milk and to the product obtained ...

6 Positioning of actors

6.1 Segmentation

All our studies are available online in PDF format

Take a look at an example of our research on another market!

Do you have a question about this study?   +44 238 097 0676

Companies quoted in this study

This study contains a complete overview of the companies in the market, with the latest figures and news for each company. :

Galbani
Latteria Soresina
Colla SPA
Ambrosi s.p.a
Zarpellon s.p.a

Choosing this study means :

Access to more than 35 hours of work

Our studies are the result of over 35 hours of research and analysis. Using our studies allows you to devote more time and added value to your projects.

Benefit from 6 years' experience and over 1,500 industry reports already produced

Our expertise enables us to produce comprehensive studies in all sectors, including niche and emerging markets.

Our know-how and methodology enable us to produce reports that offer unique value for money.

Access to several thousand articles and paid-for data

Businesscoot has access to all the paid economic press as well as exclusive databases to carry out its market research (over 30,000 articles and private sources).

To enhance our research, our analysts also use web indicators (semrush, trends, etc.) to identify market trends and company strategies. (Consult our paying sources)

Guaranteed support after your purchase

A team dedicated to after-sales service, to guarantee you a high level of satisfaction. +44 238 097 0676

A digital format designed for our users

Not only do you have access to a PDF, but also to a digital version designed for our customers. This version gives you access to sources, data in Excel format and graphics. The content of the study can therefore be easily retrieved and adapted for your specific needs.

Our offers :

the butter market | Italy

89 €
  • What are the figures on the size and growth of the market?
  • What is driving the growth of the market and its evolution?
  • What is the positioning of companies in the value chain?
  • Data from several dozen databases

5 reports pack (-15%) IT Italy

75.6 € / study
378 € instead of 445 € -15%
  • 5 reports at €75.6 excluding VAT per study to choose from our Italian catalogue for 12 months
  • Save 15% on additional studies purchased
  • Choose to be refunded any unused credit at the end of the 12-month period (duration of the pack)

See the terms and conditions of the pack and the refund of unused credit.

Updates

Our customer references

They have consulted our studies Discover the opinions (+500)

Malcolm Vincent
Linkedin logo

Malcolm Vincent

Astoria Finance

Gregoire de Castelnau
Linkedin logo

Gregoire de Castelnau

Stags Participations

Timothé Huignard
Linkedin logo

Timothé Huignard

PWC

Paul-Alexis Kebabtchieff
Linkedin logo

Paul-Alexis Kebabtchieff

BCG

Aymeric Granet
Linkedin logo

Aymeric Granet

Publicis Consultant

interviews & case studies All interviews and case studies (45)

La pépite Interview

BFM Business

Paul-Alexis Kebabtchieff

Boston Consulting Group

Marie Guibart

Kea Partners

Elaine, Durand

Crédit Agricole, Information & Veille

Philippe Dilasser

Initiative & Finance

Anne Baudry

Metro

Amaury Wernert

Kroll (Duff & Phelps)

Smart Leaders Interview

B-Smart

Do you have a question ?
Our team is at your disposal at   +44 238 097 0676