Italy’s avocado appetite grows as Sicilian production expands

Italy’s avocado market is experiencing a growth spurt, recent World Avocado Organization (WAO) data notes. Per capita consumption hit 2.5 pounds in 2025, a 67 percent year-on-year uptick from 2023’s 1.5 pounds.

Despite the increase, consumer awareness remains a challenge, WAO notes, with only 35 percent of Italian households including avocados in their grocery lists. The organization said this leaves room for further gains.

Italian production stands at an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 metric tons annually, according to the country’s Institute of Services for the Agricultural and Food Market (ISMEA). Net imports reached approximately 45,000 metric tons in 2022 and climbed to 58,400 metric tons in 2024, a 30 percent rise. 

However, challenges remain. Water access and irrigation efficiency are the biggest roadblocks to Italy’s avocado production. To address climate volatility, local grower Halaesa uses precision irrigation, soil and field sensors, weather stations, and automated monitoring systems to adjust water use to plant needs. 

The company recently secured €20 million ($23 million) in syndicated financing. According to Halaesa, the funding will support farm development, infrastructure and technology, while also strengthening its financial position as operations expand.

Sicily spearheads Italy’s avocado production 

Amid rising consumption, Sicily has emerged as a key area for Italy's avocado development. The Mediterranean island’s usually mild winters enable longer growing seasons, with varied soils and favorable coastal microclimates also supporting growth.

Avocado cultivation in Sicily reached an estimated 2,471 acres in 2025. Halaesa recently acquired another 519 acres in the area, bringing its total production platform to approximately 741 acres.

“Seven hundred acres is a major industrial milestone, but we built Halaesa as a scalable platform,” the company told FreshFruitPortal.com.

A spokesperson for Halaesa said it expects its footprint to continue growing, but expansion will depend on agronomic suitability. The firm sees an opportunity to develop a specialized Sicilian origin based on proximity to European markets, traceability, quality, and professionalized production.

“Our goal is to demonstrate that Sicily can produce avocados at scale by combining regenerative practices, technology, financial discipline, and value creation for local communities,” Halaesa stated.

While Italy will remain the company’s main market in the short term, as production volumes and supply consistency increase, it also identifies France, Germany, the UK, and other Northern European markets as potential destinations.

The firm is also deploying drones with multispectral sensors, field robotics, and structured data collection as it expands its production area.

Sustainability forms another component of the company's production model. Halaesa uses cover crops, including sulla and faba beans, reincorporates biomass into the soil, limits tillage, and uses strategies to increase organic matter and maintain soil cover.

The company also said it prioritizes biodiversity and habitat conditions that support Italy's native pollinators, which play a role in avocado flowering and fruit set.

Its current environmental tracking measures Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and energy sourcing, with the company working to broaden its environmental monitoring.

*Images courtesy of Halaesa.

The second edition of the Global Avocado Summit will be held on November 11, 2026, at the Monticello Casino Events Center in Santiago, Chile. Organized by Paltas de Chile and Yentzen Group, the meeting seeks to bring together the main players in a growing industry

The event has established itself as a key space for addressing commercial and sustainability issues in the industry, bringing together producers, exporters, buyers, certifiers, and innovators to analyze the sector’s challenges and opportunities.

For more info, contact events@yentzengroup.com

Related stories

California avocado crop tracks 330 million-pound forecast as demand accelerates

Italy’s ripening market enters a new phase as Catalytic Generators targets expansion