Agriculture is emerging as a stronger pillar of Mozambique’s economic partnership with Italy, with businesses and institutions from both countries converging in Maputo to identify investment opportunities across the agri-food value chain.
The Mozambique-Italy Forum, held on 14 and 15 September 2026, brought together government officials, financial institutions, investors and agribusiness professionals for two days focused on expanding commercial cooperation in agriculture and food production. Organised by the Italian Embassy, the ICE office in Maputo and the Mozambique-Italy Chamber of Commerce and promoted by the Agrifood Africa network, the forum brought representatives from Italy’s Tuttofood and Cibus Tec trade shows together with companies seeking opportunities with Mozambican businesses and institutions.
The first day attracted around 60 industry professionals and was attended by Planning and Development Minister Salim Vala, representatives of international financial institutions and the Mozambican Investment Agency (Apiex). Opening the forum, Italian Ambassador to Maputo Gabriele Annis highlighted agriculture’s strategic role in bilateral cooperation, pointing to initiatives planned under the Mattei Plan for Africa, including the Manica Agri-Food Center (CAAM).
The forum follows an agribusiness meeting held in Maputo a year earlier with Italy’s Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida, reinforcing agriculture as an expanding area of bilateral engagement. Vala highlighted the sector’s contribution to economic growth and called on entrepreneurs to invest in modernising Mozambique’s agricultural sector. The second day shifted from policy discussions to commercial engagement, with B2B and B2G meetings and visits to local businesses and markets, including Rural Focus and Inalca.
A working dinner at the Italian Embassy was attended by Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Minister Roberto Albino, providing further opportunity for discussions around investment and cooperation. The engagement comes as Mozambique seeks to modernise agricultural production, strengthen domestic value addition and attract investment into its wider agri-food economy. For Italian companies, the forum provides a platform to explore commercial opportunities in one of Africa’s emerging agricultural markets, while Mozambique gains access to international agribusiness expertise, technology and potential investment.
