Beer continues to be in the hearts and on the tables of many Italians, but the jump in production costs puts its future at risk, together with the wealth and employment that its supply chain brings to the country. This is what emerges from an analysis by Osservatorio Birra, which presents the sixth report by Althesys Strategic Consultants "The creation of shared value in the beer sector in Italy". In a year and a half, from 2021 to the first half of 2022, the prices of strategic raw materials such as corn and barley malt increased by 80 and 95%; packaging and materials, especially glass, doubled and electricity prices even quadrupled. In 2022, compared to the sales values of 2021, the incidence of raw material and energy costs on the value of production increased by +50% for breweries. It is an increase of 20 percentage points, also higher than the sector's margin in 2021 (17.1%). According to Osservatorio Birra, the consequences for the sector, which appears to be stuck between the increase in costs and the reduction in the purchasing power of Italians, risk affecting employment and the value of the supply chain, which is around 9.4 billion euros; there is also the risk of eliminating the "beer phenomenon" that in ten years has made this drink the heart of gastronomy and sociality of Italians.
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