Craftsmanship in the food, beverage and restaurant sectors in Sicily has 7,084 active companies, with 22,949 employees. The sector – explains Confartigianato Sicilia – represents 12.7% of the crafts sector – the highest incidence found among the Italian regions – and 17.5% of the island’s craft workers. In terms of the incidence of food, beverage and restaurant workers on the total economy workers, Sicily, with a value of 2.8%, ranks third in the national ranking.
The highest value is in Messina
Among the provinces, higher values are observed for Messina (3.6%), Enna (3.6%), Trapani (3.5%) and Agrigento (3.4%); followed by Ragusa and Siracusa, at 12.8 and 2.7 percent respectively, Caltanissetta at 2.4% and, equally, Palermo and Catania at 2.3%. It is estimated that Sicilian families’ spending on food products in the month of the Christmas holidays is equal to 1.4 billion euros, 7.9% of national spending. The province in which citizens spend the most on food and drinks is Palermo, with 341 million euros, followed distantly by Catania with 307 million euros. Messina is third with 187 million.
Made in Sicily: a rapidly expanding sector
The Made in Sicily food and beverage industry experienced a phase of strong expansion between 2024 and 2025. Sicily, which contributes 1.9 percent to national food and beverage exports, recorded exports of 1.1 billion euros in the twelve months between July 2024 and June 2025, equal to 9.7 percent of regional manufacturing exports. A result – explains Confartigianato Sicilia in an article published in the “Gazzetta del Sud” – which confirms the strategic role of the agri-food sector for the island’s economy.
The weight of exports
At provincial level, the weight of food and drink exports on added value is highest in Trapani (2.54%) and Ragusa (2.23%), followed by Agrigento (1.53%), Messina (1.34%), Catania (1.17%) and Enna (1.07%). Lower values for Palermo (0.63%), Syracuse (0.23%) and Caltanissetta (0.21%). In the first half of 2025, Sicily also stands out as the region with the best trend dynamics of agri-food exports in Italy, with growth of more than 15.1%.
Quality as a strong point
Quality remains one of the main strengths of Made in Sicily: the region is second nationally for the number of quality food products recognized by the European Union, with 36 PDO and PGI certified products. PDO products represent 55.6% of the total, while PGI products are 16, equal to 44.4%. Fruit and vegetables and cereals prevail, followed by oils and fats, cheeses and other excellences symbolizing the Sicilian agri-food tradition. Added to these are 293 traditional agri-food products, the result of processing, conservation and seasoning methods consolidated over time. Fresh pasta, baked goods and confectionery represent over a third of the total, followed by natural or processed vegetable products: together they account for almost 64% of typical regional specialities.