Lombardy’s Food Industries in the Italian Context : An Overview (1870–1914)

The contribution presents an overview of the main food industries of Lombardy between 1870 and 1914. The region was fully involved in the modernisation process of this sector and - in its own way and with its natural, entrepreneurial and institutional resources - challenged European industries that required substantial investments: milling, rice polishing, production of seed oil, alcohol and beer. Some foods, such as bread, sweets, pasta, preserves, maintained an artisanal character because they could be obtained at low cost using simple techniques and local raw materials, and at a competitive quality level compared to the standardised product. Over time, however, the commercial expansion induced by demographic and urban growth, combined with the significant reduction in transport costs and new production, storage and packaging techniques, allowed the major companies to establish themselves in the offer of some products. The chapter examines the sectors of cereals (including pasta), cheese, meat, wine and beer, spirits, confectionery and others. Overall, the food industries of the region made considerable progress in the liberal age, mechanising various industries and moving decisively towards a definitive detachment from agriculture of various typical products, often (though not always) by adequately combining tradition and innovation.