Italy will be proclaimed 'Country of the Year' at the BioFach international organic farming trade fair which opens Thursday in this Germany city.
"This recognition highlights the importance of organic farming in Italy, a sector which has an annual turnover of 1.7 billion euros with exports valued at 700 million euros," the Italian Foreign Trade Institute (ICE) said ahead of the fair.
The trade fair will run through Sunday and see the participation of 73 countries.
According to ICE, some 50,000 farms in Italy are dedicated to organic farming and cover an area of just over one million hectares.
The southern regions of Sicily and Puglia are the most active in the sector and host about 30% of Italy's organic farms.
The organic foods trade fair is promoted by the International Federation of Agriculture Movements and this year sees the participation of 300 Italian farms and firms active in the sector.
ICE has reserved a 'Piazza Italia' area at the fair for the Italian participants which will also host a series meetings, workshops and tastings.
