by Maximiliano Crocamo
Interviews: Pierpaolo Roberti, FVG Councilor for Local Autonomies, Security, and Immigration; Serena Tonel, Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Economic Development, Theaters, and Major Events and Antonio Paoletti, President of the Venezia Giulia Chamber of Commerce
The 12th edition of TriestEspresso Expo, a biennial trade fair dedicated to espresso and the coffee supply chain, opened on Wednesday at the Generali Convention Center in Trieste. The event runs through Oct. 23, bringing together international companies and industry professionals from 46 countries.
The fair highlights Trieste’s longstanding role in the global coffee trade, connecting businesses across production, roasting, packaging, logistics and equipment.
Pierpaolo Roberti, the regional councillor for local autonomies, attended the opening ceremony on behalf of Massimiliano Fedriga, the governor of Friuli Venezia Giulia. He described Trieste as a historic and cultural center of the coffee industry, noting its close ties to the port and the wider economy. He said the expo was strategically important for the region because it creates commercial opportunities and encourages investment.
Serena Tonel, Trieste’s deputy mayor and councilor for economic development, theaters and major events, emphasized the coffee sector’s importance at local, national and international levels. She also pointed to initiatives by Trieste-based companies to promote social sustainability in coffee-producing communities, including through international cooperation projects.
The industry, however, faces growing pressures. Antonio Paoletti, president of the Venezia Giulia Chamber of Commerce, cited climate change affecting major coffee-producing countries, disruptions to shipping routes amid tensions in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, and rising energy and transportation costs.
These challenges affect the entire supply chain, from coffee roasting and packaging to shipping and agricultural labor, he said. Supporting the industry through the expo, he added, reflects Trieste’s economic, commercial, social and cultural ties to coffee.
Arianna Mingardi, president of the Associazione Caffè Trieste, said the organization was pleased to bring together a broad range of businesses, including manufacturers of coffee-related accessories. Gabriele Bellon, director of Bcc Venezia Giulia, said the bank supported the event because of its local roots and its focus on economic activity that creates value.
The international presence includes companies with offices abroad from Brazil, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Slovenia, Croatia, Malta, Poland, Germany, Spain and El Salvador, according to the organizers.
Among the local participants are illycaffè, Pacorini Silocaf, Demus, Sandalj Trading Company, Imperator, Primo Aroma, CoffeeTree, Amigos Caffè, Antica Tostatura Triestina, Excelsior, La San Marco and Torrefazione Goriziana. The Associazione Caffè Trieste, Gruppo Italiano Torrefattori Caffè and Fondazione Ernesto Illy ETS are also taking part.
With international businesses gathered in Trieste, the expo offers a meeting point for an industry rooted in the city’s history but increasingly shaped by global market pressures, climate risks and the changing cost of moving goods around the world.
