Italian financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore has highlighted Greece’s rich culinary tradition and its rising food exports, noting that Italians are drawn to the country not only as a travel destination but also for its cuisine. According to the Milan-based newspaper, Greek agricultural and food products such as yogurt, feta, moussaka, gyros, olives, and kiwis are enjoying growing success in both restaurants and modern retail.
Greece supplied 42.5% of the yogurt imported into Italy last year, an 11% increase over 2024. The paper reported that in less than a decade, Greek yogurt has captured nearly a quarter of the Italian market and is now bought by 58% of Italian households. Feta, it added, is no longer reserved for breakfast but has found its way into many Italian recipes, with purchases doubling over the past five years, the strongest growth of any cheese category.
The newspaper observed that the international success of feta and Greek yogurt has given a decisive boost to the country’s wider food exports, which have climbed from 3.3 billion euros to 11.5 billion euros over the past decade and now account for 18.6% of Greece’s total exports. Greek agrifood exports rose 7.8% last year, with Italy remaining the leading market, absorbing 20% of production.
Beyond fruit and vegetables, dairy, olives, and olive oil, which make up the bulk of exports, the paper pointed to rising sales of wine, beer, ouzo, and aquaculture products. It noted that aquaculture is a sector the Greek government is betting on heavily, having earmarked 131 million euros to support new facilities. Il Sole 24 Ore placed these gains within a broader positive economic picture, with the Greek economy growing faster than the European average and expected to expand by around 2.2% in 2026, four times the rate forecast for Italy.
