Italy’s bid for UNESCO status for Espresso

Italy approaches UNESCO to recognize espresso by adding it to the list of items of “intangible heritage,” or those items that are representative and encapsulate the culture of countries and nations.

According to the Italian Espresso Institute, worth more than €4 billion per year, the espresso market is booming with more than 90 percent of Italians thought to drink at least one cup of the potent brew every day.

Now, Italy is attempting to secure worldwide recognition for the significance of its miniature coffee.

Recentiiy, the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry policies approved the application unanimously, and it is now subject to approval by the Italian National UNESCO Commission. After that, the application will be submitted to UNESCO headquarters to determine whether or not it makes the cut.

The bid for espresso as a heritage item was denied last year by UNESCO, in part because two separate agencies put in applications. UNESCO advised both applicants to reconcile and reapply the following year together.