Sana 2023 returns to Bologna with an entirely B2B edition that will welcome professionals from the organic and natural sector. New additions include dedicated focuses on veg and free-from products. Sana 2023 returns to Bologna with an entirely B2B edition that will welcome professionals from the organic and natural sector. New additions include dedicated focuses on veg and free-from products.
At BolognaFiere, from 7 to 10 September 2023, Sana, the international organic and natural trade fair, returns with an edition – the 35th – that is increasingly international and, for the first time, entirely B2B. The event is aimed at producers, distributors, buyers, institutions and certification bodies with an interest in all the trends and new developments in the organic sector, as well as healthy food, green cosmetics, sustainable fashion, blockchain and solutions against waste.
"Thirty-five years ago, when we had the happy idea of promoting an international organic and natural trade fair, we made the right choice," said the president of BolognaFiere, Gianpiero Calzolari. "The issue of environmental sustainability, as well as that of healthy eating, is today crucial for people's wellbeing and the future of the planet."
In the organic & natural food area, open from 7 to 9 September, products for organic, healthy and sustainable eating, with controlled supply chains, PDO, DOC and PGI designations will be on display; open until 10 September, meanwhile, will be the care & beauty area, a showcase of natural and organic body-care products and cosmetics, including supplements and medicinal herbs, and the green lifestyle section, where solutions and services for living everyday time and spaces sustainably will be presented.
A new focus at Sana 2023 will be the veg area, with an exhibition space dedicated to everything veg – from vegan to vegetarian, from raw vegan to plant-based – highlighting the latest consumer trends and product innovations. Another new focus for this edition will centre on intolerances and healthy eating, featuring free-from products aimed at people with allergies and intolerances, and rich-in products for all those who pay close attention to the healthfulness of their food. Sana will also give space to the theme of waste reduction: the various methods of recovering and reusing processing by-products will be explored in depth, with the aim of helping to combat food waste and beyond. Also new is the New on Sana space dedicated to start-ups and young companies focused on innovation and sustainable development.
Among the returning features is the Via delle erbe, with a programme of seven masterclasses delivered by experts in phytotherapy and herbalism, aimed at herbalists and health and wellness practitioners, along with an exhibition space dedicated in particular to "white herbs", with a specific focus on those that benefit the digestive system. Also returning is Sanatech, which will address organic and precision farming, traceability, the circular economy and technologies for natural cosmetics, while opening up to emerging topics such as the world of biocontrol and the bio-packaging sector. There will also be an in-depth look at blockchain.
The event will be an opportunity to discuss and take stock of the organic sector, with the presentation of data from the Osservatorio Sana at Rivoluzione bio, the organic sector's General Assembly, organised in collaboration with Federbio and Assobio. A preview of the data reveals a positive performance in made-in-Italy organic exports: in 2022, sales of Italian organic agri-food products on international markets reached 3.4 billion euros, a growth of +16 per cent compared with the previous year and +181 per cent compared with 2012.
"Events like Sana and Rivoluzione bio are essential for bringing the attention of operators and citizens to bear on issues so relevant to the future of our planet," said the president of Federbio, Maria Grazia Mammuccini, stressing the urgency of giving full implementation to the organic farming law in order to reach 25 per cent of cultivated land under organic management, to support the growth of Italian organic product exports and to stimulate domestic demand for organic products, which has experienced a slowdown in recent months. "As regards domestic consumption, which needs to be revived, we believe it is essential to continue running communication campaigns aimed at citizens, in order to build awareness of the benefits of a food choice grounded in organic, as well as pushing for further growth in investment earmarked for the expansion of organic canteens."
"Sana has always been the most authoritative venue for talking concretely about organic farming, and a valuable opportunity for businesses and operators to compare notes on the challenges that lie ahead, both in economic and environmental terms," said Roberto Zanoni, president of Assobio, highlighting on the one hand the significant growth of organic in the "out-of-home" sector – such as bars and restaurants – and on the other the work still needed to grow domestic consumption, awareness and supply-chain transparency.