NATEEO JOINS AICE: A STRATEGIC STEP TOWARDS INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION

Nateeo joins AICE – Associazione Italiana Commercio Estero (Italian Foreign Trade Association), a business association that has been representing companies operating in foreign trade and seeking to develop their business on international markets for over 75 years.

Nateeo currently exports to 27 countries and has a network of 33 distributors and retailers in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, but there’s still a lot of room to grow. Today, the growth strategy is to expand further into new markets, with a focus on Asia, where demand for high-performance, clean label, plant-based ingredients is booming. Membership of AICE provides Nateeo with the tools, expertise, and relationships to accelerate this process, ensure compliance, and strengthen ESG management throughout the supply chain.

“Joining AICE allows us to strengthen our internationalization strategy,” explains Silvia Santarelli, CEO of Nateeo. “We want to bring high-quality, traceable, and safe plant-based ingredients to the world, building solid relationships with distributors and customers. AICE’s support, ranging from specialist consulting to institutional relations, will help us bring our ingredients to new markets.”

Thanks to its extensive experience and organizational structure, AICE offers its member companies comprehensive assistance in all aspects of international trade, maintaining institutional relations with the highest national and international authorities. AICE provides Italian operators with a wealth of consolidated expertise, with the aim of protecting the interests of its members and promoting their development through services that strengthen their positioning and image on foreign markets.

This support is particularly important in a context in which Italian agri-food products continue to stand out in terms of value and recognition: in 2024, exports reached €67.5 billion, with a compound annual growth rate of +6.5% (2010–2024) and accounting for 10.8% of total national exports. Italy also boasts the highest average value among the main European countries (€254.5/100 kg of exported product, compared to €131.2/100 kg for France), a sign of competitiveness based on quality, distinctiveness, and reputation. (source: TEHA- Ambrosetti)

At the same time, the sector must face structural challenges such as climate change, geopolitical tensions, consumption crises, and tariff policies, which make it even more important to promote resilient supply chains and diversify supply and outlet markets. Through AICE, Nateeo will participate in working groups, training initiatives, and business matching to consolidate its presence in the markets it serves, open up new business opportunities, and strengthen compliance and sustainability standards throughout the value chain.