Italian coffee is a candidate for UNESCO intangible heritage of humanity. "In Italy, coffee is much more than a simple drink: it is a real ritual, it is an integral part of our national identity and is an expression of our sociality that distinguishes us in the world", said the undersecretary for agricultural, food and foresters, Gian Marco Centinaio announcing the unanimous approval by Mipaaf of candidacy. Then, this was sent to Italian National Commission for Unesco. "We trust that they will approve it and send it to Paris by 31 March", commented Centinaio and added: "the cup of espresso represents for all Italians a social and cultural ritual that is also reflected in literature and that fascinates the whole country, from Naples to Venice to Trieste passing through Rome and Milan. An all the more important candidacy in a historical moment in which the restrictions due to the pandemic have penalized social relations, many of which were framed by the counter or the outdoor lounge of a bar in front of a good Italian coffee", he concluded.

The president of the Coffee Promotion Consortium, Michele Monzini, also commented the candidacy: “we express our satisfaction for this important confirmation of the excellence of our beloved Italian cup. We followed the developments of the Unesco candidacy of espresso coffee which finally sees in this important moment of transition the recognition of the commitment, passion and professionalism of the operators of our supply chain. This is an important result, the right recognition of a product capable of uniting the multiple riches and different traditions of our incredibly varied territory in a single rite, that of coffee at the bar: a rite of pleasure, sociability, identification, which is recognized all over the world".

"We remember the symbolic value of coffee also for the Italian economy, as it is the flagship of made in Italy quality, which is in great demand also abroad", added Monzini. We are talking about over 800 roasters, more than 7,000 employees, a turnover of 3.6 billion euros: "a strategic sector for our economy put to the test by the pandemic crisis, but which sees the passionate commitment of roasters at the forefront, of professional coffee machine manufacturers, of the entire connected industry and of the professionalism of the baristas to guarantee the consumer an Italian product of excellent quality”, concluded.