Florence will host the eighth edition of Buyfood Toscana on 28 and 29 October 2026, with more than 600 business meetings scheduled between local food producers and international buyers. The event aims to help Tuscan companies expand their presence in foreign markets, particularly through products with European geographical origin certifications.
The two-day trade event will take place at Palazzo degli Affari, near Florence’s Santa Maria Novella railway station. It will bring together 58 Tuscan companies selected through a regional application process and 45 buyers from 20 countries, including the United States, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
According to the organisers, 27 of the international buyers will be attending for the first time. Five visits to production areas across Tuscany are also planned, allowing participants to learn about local agricultural practices and food production.
Buyfood Toscana is promoted by the Tuscany regional government and the Florence Chamber of Commerce, and organised by PromoFirenze and Fondazione Sistema Toscana.
What DOP and IGP labels mean
The event focuses primarily on products carrying the European Union’s DOP and IGP certifications, which identify foods linked to specific geographical areas.
DOP, or Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), requires all stages of production to take place within a defined geographical area according to established specifications. IGP, or Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), requires at least one stage of production to take place in the designated area.
These certifications cover a wide range of Tuscan products, including olive oil, cheeses, cured meats, bread and traditional baked goods. They are intended to protect geographical names and production methods while helping consumers identify products with a recognised connection to their place of origin.
The event will also include organic products, traditional regional foods and products covered by other Italian quality schemes.
Conference on Tuscany’s agricultural economy
A conference examining the economic and cultural role of Tuscan agriculture will take place on Wednesday, 29 October, from 9.30 a.m. at Palazzo Medici Riccardi in central Florence.
The programme will include presentations by ISMEA, Italy’s public institute for agricultural market services, and IRPET, Tuscany’s regional economic research institute. Researchers will present updated figures on production, market trends and exports.
Television presenter Licia Colò will take part in a discussion with regional councillor Leonardo Marras on the relationship between agriculture, sustainable production, food culture and tourism.
Other speakers will include specialists in nutrition, agricultural economics and gastronomy from the universities of Siena and Florence.
The conference will be streamed online through the Tuscany regional government’s channels, intoscana.it and Vetrina Toscana.
Recognition for traditional Tuscan products
The conference will also mark anniversaries of several protected food designations.
Among the products reaching ten years of recognition are Cantuccini Toscani IGP, the traditional almond biscuits, Mortadella di Prato IGP and Pane Toscano DOP.
Farina di castagne della Lunigiana DOP, a chestnut flour produced in north-western Tuscany, and Seggiano DOP extra virgin olive oil will mark 15 years.
Several other products will reach 30 years of protected status, including Pecorino Toscano DOP, Prosciutto Toscano DOP, Farro della Garfagnana IGP and Marrone del Mugello IGP.
Tuscan food week in 100 restaurants
Although the main trade meetings are reserved for industry professionals, a separate initiative will allow the public to take part.
From 28 October to 1 November, the third edition of the Week of Tuscan DOP and IGP Products in 100 Restaurants will involve participating restaurants across the region.
Organised by the QuORe association, the initiative aims to introduce customers to certified regional products through restaurant menus and food-related activities.
The programme also includes two educational tasting sessions in Florence. On 28 October, chef Mattia Barciulli will lead an olive oil masterclass for students at the Aurelio Saffi hospitality school. On 29 October, a session devoted to Cantuccini Toscani IGP will take place at Palazzo Medici Riccardi for journalists and food industry professionals.
A separate press tour will visit Maremma, in southern Tuscany, from 29 to 31 October, focusing on livestock farming, cheese, pasta, olive oil and regional biodiversity.
The main Buyfood Toscana business meetings are not open to the general public. Residents and visitors interested in participating can instead look for restaurants taking part in the regional food week.
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