The 32nd International Exhibition of Food, Food Technology and Agriculture which opened in Tehran on Tuesday provides a platform for exchanging information and learning about the latest technologies in the food industry.
About 750 domestic companies and 138 foreign firms have rolled out their products at the four-day Iran Agrofood 2025 event with the aim of making the best of opportunities for export and marketing.
Iran’s food sector is one of the industries at the cutting edge of technological developments and global standards in the fields of conversion, processing, and distribution.
It has only grown under sanctions as outside restrictions have allowed domestic production to burgeon and build up capacities for exports.
Overall, sanctions have imposed heavy financial and political costs on the Islamic Republic, but they have also had a number of positive unintended consequences.
At the onset of sanctions, the Iranian economy was heavily dependent on oil exports but restrictions over a relatively long time period have led to important structural transformations, with significant increases in non-oil exports, most notably petrochemicals, light manufacturing products and agricultural goods.
Over the past decade, US sanctions have been responsible for the rapid rise of high-tech and knowledge-based companies in Iran which has countered external pressures by improvising and re-tooling up its indigenous capacity.
One of the most important national achievements has been in the agricultural sector. Iran today produces more than 120 types of agricultural raw materials in its food industry, where there is a capacity to convert them into 300% added value.
Yearly agricultural output including the production of crops, livestock, and aquaculture commodities is valued at more than $70 billion, without which the country would have had to spend the income from a year and a half of oil sales under favorable market conditions solely on food imports.
Iran produces about 83% of its annual food needs domestically. Last year, Iran’s food industry exports grew 26 percent, according CEO of the Iran International Exhibitions Company Sodeif Beikzadeh.
The food industry is one of the most important and strategic industries in Iran, playing a key role in ensuring food security, creating employment, and developing the country's economy.
With an extensive chain of production, distribution, and exports, the industry constitutes a significant portion of the gross domestic product.
The Iranian food industry has a history of several hundred years, producing traditional products such as dairy products, grains, and nuts, but its industrialization began in the 1960s with the establishment of dairy, oil, sugar, and canning factories.
After the Islamic Revolution, the sector grew significantly amid a self-sufficiency drive so much so that it is considered today as one of the dynamic sectors of the Iranian economy.
With its rich agricultural resources, Iran now is one of the largest food producers in the region. The country's food industry includes various sectors such as dairy products, edible oils, sugar, beverages, canned goods, cereals, and confectionery.
The sector has a high potential for development and expansion, given Iran’s growing population and the need to supply food, but for a sustainable growth, the country needs to increase productivity, optimize the supply chain, expand exports, and use new technologies.
Also, expanding export markets to neighboring countries and utilizing reputable brands can play an important role in increasing the profitability of the industry.
Iran's food industry is, in fact, one of the most important and influential sectors in the country's economy, which, in addition to meeting domestic needs, has high potential for export.
Currently, Iran is an exporter of various types of dairy products to about 50 countries, which bring in more than $700 million in annual revenues.
Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates took in nearly 90% of Iran's dairy exports in the first two months of the last Persian year.
This underpins the country’s position as a key producer and supplier of halal food products. As a nation where the teachings of Islam embrace all aspects of life, Iran is best placed to play a major role in the burgeoning halal business.
