Expo and the excess of excellence

‘’Do we really think we can feed the world with the so-called excellence of Italian products? Aren’t they more for the well-off?’’. These important points were brought up by Paolo Russo, a Forza Italia MP who certainly cannot be accused of being a rabid Bolshevik. The fundamental problem is that Italy insists on trying to pitch the concept of ‘excellence’, a rhetorical, imprecise and, at this point, overused word which cannot be applied to Italy’s food production.

If there is a country that does stands out for its food excellence it is France and this in many sectors including wine, cheese and quality meats. Italy, on the other hand, is superior for a much more important reason, one which few people mention or recognize and which would be a much more pertinent theme for Milan’s Expo 2015 world’s fair.

And it is the high quality level of Italy’s food sector in general.

While there are some areas of excellence, the fact is that Italy offers a mountain of good products which, when they are not excellent, are available at a reasonable price. This is true for the sectors of fruits and vegetables, extra-virgin olive oil, wine, pasta, bread-making technology, cold cuts, much of the cheese sector and the industry for preserving foods.

It is what has determined the success of Italian cuisine the world over, from pizza to pasta, to sauces and condiments that you can easily use at home following simple recipes which people love the world over. Italy can also boast an enormous biodiversity in its food production.

All this does not qualify as being part of the world of ‘excellence’ because in order to do so, if the word is to have any meaning, these products would have to be outstanding. However, the concept of overall good quality is much more important because not only is it in line with Expo’s central theme but it appeals more to a mass of consumers who are not well-off and are more interested in products they can afford, the prices for which have not been inflated by rhetoric or any pretense for ‘excellence’.