Agricultural industry in Italy - statistics & facts

Land use and crop production

As of 2018, the total arable land in Italy amounted to 6.7 million hectares. The total amount of arable land has fluctuated over time reaching its highest amount in the year 2012 with over 7.1 million hectares of arable land. A significant portion of this agricultural area is in the south and consists of arable land, where the land is under temporary agricultural crops. As of 2018, 74,400 hectares of land were certified for organic farming in Italy, registering an increase of 69 percent in comparison with 2013. Such areas are estimated to increase in the following years, reaching over 96,000 hectares by 2023.

Livestock farming in Italy

In the northern, more mountainous regions, livestock farming is the primary agricultural sector. In 2019, Italy had more than six million heads of bovine animals. However, Italy is not only suited for bovinae, as goats, sheep and swine are other primary forms of livestock farming in Italy. There are approximately 8.5 million heads of swine in the country, more than bovine animals, thus emphasising Italy’s preference for pork in cuisine. Prosciutto, guanciale and mortadella are all famous cuts of Italian meat made with pork.

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