1.1 Definition and presentation

Plant milk is a beverage visually very similar to traditional animal milk, which has a different taste and texture due to its production method, which is based on the processing of plants, including:

Oleaginous (almonds, hazelnuts)
Legumes (soybeans)
Cereals (wheat, rice)

There are several reasons to consume vegetable milk: its impact on consumers' health is limited, especially for people with lactose intolerance, and it fits perfectly with diets such as veganism or vegetarianism. The global market is expected to grow by +10.3 percent annually between 2020 and 2026 and reach $40 .7 billion by 2026 ,

Health and ecological concerns are seen as the main drivers of this market, as people increasingly begin to worry about their health and make choices for their diet with the environment in mind. 150 million liters of vegetable milk were consumed in Italy in 2020, which represents a growth of 8.2 percent in volume.

The most consumed type of vegetable milk is soy milk, with 52 million liters consumed in 2020. it is then followed by rice milk and almond milk. The average price of a liter of vegetable milk in Italy is 1.93 euros.

The main players in the Italian market are Alpro (part of the Danone group), Valsoia and Granarolo, however the market is rather fragmented with small private labels holding 25 percent of the market share.

1.2 The world market

The vegetable milk market is particularly dynamic, with sales growth expected to average +**.*% per year between **** and ****. This would represent a market of $**.* billion by ****, up from $**.* billion in ****, with a total increase of nearly **% in * years.[***]

Global vegetable milk market World, ****-****, billion dollars Source: ****

equal in all regions of ...

1.3 The domestic market

Here we use data that refer to ATECO entry **.**.**,"Production of fruit and vegetable juices," which includes the production of vegetable milks, as there is no ATECO entry related only to those. This sector has remained stable over the past ten years, with turnover increasing by +** percent.

We will analyze in ...

1.4 Foreign trade

Here we use data for UN Comtrade HS Code ******, which includes "Fruit, nut or vegetable juices, unfermented, not containing added spirit, whether or not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter (***)". This allows us to get a comprehensive look at Italy's foreign trade in the sector.

We can see that Italy ...

2.1 Characteristics of the question: Vegans and vegetarians

Italians' appetite for plant-based and environmentally friendly diets is on the rise. We can find two main reasons driving the increase in demand for plant-based dairy, including vegan and vegetarian diets, and environmental friendliness.

The increase in the number of vegans and vegetarians

This segment of the population is undoubtedly the ...

2.2 Demand characteristics: Environmental and health sustainability

Another aspect that strongly influences demand is the increasing importance given by consumers to sustainable production practices. In fact, one of the factors driving Italians toward the consumption of vegetable milk is the impact that animal farms, intensive and otherwise, have on the environment. According to a survey by Alto Consumo, ...

2.3 Consumers' spending habits are changing

Consumer habits have changed profoundly in recent years, and plant-based products play a key role in these changes. Indeed, more and more consumers have decided to turn to ***% plant-based products. if, especially in the early ****s, the consumption of these products was due to wanting to follow the "fashion" of the ...

3.1 Italian market structure and annual production

The ATECO heading used is the same as that used in Part *.*. It can be seen that the number of companies and employment in the sector have both remained stable through the years.

Number of enterprises and employees in the sector of fruit or vegetable juice production, including vegetable milk Italy, ...

3.2 Production value chain

Source: ****

3.3 Italian raw material structure and imports

Italy produces rice, oats, almonds and hazelnuts in significant quantities, which are used to produce four different vegetable milks. However, the coconuts and soybeans used to produce two other vegetable milks are not produced in Italy, and are therefore imported from other countries.

The ATECO codes related to the cultivation of ...

4.1 Type of products

There are several types of vegetable milk, which we list in the table below.

[***]

4.2 Prices at sale

[***]

5.1 The mention of milk

Since ****, plant milk producers have been forced to change the names previously used to designate their products. A ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union restricted the use of the name "milk" for commercial and advertising purposes to milk of animal origin.[***] The prohibition imposed on manufacturers has ...

5.2 The European Common Agricultural Policy

This common policy represents the set of rules the European Union intended to give itself by recognizing the centrality of the agricultural sector to the equitable and stable development of member countries. Launched in ****, it pursues the following objectives:

to support farmers and improve agricultural productivity by ensuring a stable supply ...

5.3 Organic farming legislation

In Europe, the regulation of organic farming is regulated by Regulation (***) No. ***/****.[***] This, however, is not the first time the sector has been regulated; in fact, the first EU regulation on the subject dates back to the year ****, which limited the method for organic production to agricultural products only, excluding the ...