Italy Agriculture Films Market Overview, 2030

The agriculture films market in Italy has evolved substantially over the past five decades, driven by the country’s strong horticultural sector and diverse climatic regions. Initial adoption began in the 1960s and 1970s, with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films primarily used for mulching in open-field cultivation to enhance soil temperature, retain moisture, and control weeds, particularly in vegetable-producing regions such as Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, and Sicily. During the 1980s and 1990s, greenhouse farming expanded rapidly, especially in southern Italy and the Po Valley, to support year-round cultivation of high-value crops such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and strawberries for both domestic consumption and export. Transparent polyethylene films and later EVA/EBA copolymers enabled improved light transmission, thermal insulation, and durability, supporting controlled-environment agriculture. At the same time, the livestock and dairy sectors, particularly in Lombardy, Veneto, and Tuscany, drove demand for silage films, ensuring preservation of forage quality and reducing feed losses during seasonal storage. Technological advancements in the 2000s, including multilayer extrusion, UV stabilization, and enhanced mechanical strength, further improved film performance and longevity. Environmental concerns and regulatory pressures, including EU directives and Italy’s national waste management policies, have increasingly influenced the market, encouraging adoption of biodegradable and recyclable films. Today, Italy’s agriculture films market reflects a mature, innovation-driven landscape that balances traditional polyethylene usage with advanced greenhouse solutions, sustainable mulching practices, and effective silage preservation, supporting high productivity, export-oriented agriculture, and alignment with environmental and regulatory standards.

According to the research report ""Italy Agriculture Films Market Overview, 2030,”published by Bonafide Research, the Italy Agriculture Films market is anticipated to grow at more than 8.75% CAGR from 2025 to 2030. The agriculture films market in Italy is influenced by a combination of drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges that shape its growth and adoption patterns. Key drivers include the increasing demand for higher crop productivity, particularly in regions such as Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Sicily, and the Po Valley, where open-field vegetable cultivation and greenhouse farming are prominent. The growing adoption of protected cultivation and controlled-environment agriculture has further accelerated the use of advanced multilayer polyethylene and EVA/EBA films, enabling year-round production of high-value crops such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and strawberries. Government subsidies and support programs aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture encourage investment in technologically advanced and eco-friendly films. Rising awareness of water conservation has also reinforced demand for mulching and greenhouse films that enhance moisture retention and irrigation efficiency. However, the market faces restraints including environmental concerns over plastic disposal, high fluctuations in raw material costs driven by crude oil price volatility, and competition from natural alternatives such as organic mulches and crop covers. Opportunities exist in the development and adoption of biodegradable and compostable films to meet EU sustainability mandates, as well as in smart agriculture solutions, including sensor-enabled films and nanotechnology coatings for optimized crop management. Challenges include limited recycling infrastructure for agricultural plastics, stringent regulatory frameworks under EU directives, and farmer cost sensitivity, which can restrict adoption of premium or environmentally advanced films. Collectively, these dynamics highlight Italy’s evolving agriculture films market, where technological innovation, environmental compliance, and productivity enhancement are essential to sustaining growth.

In Italy, the agriculture films market is primarily driven by polyethylene-based materials, with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) dominating due to their flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and broad applicability in mulching, greenhouse, and silage operations. LDPE is extensively used for open-field mulching in key vegetable-growing regions such as Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Sicily, and Puglia, where it enhances soil moisture retention, regulates soil temperature, and suppresses weeds, boosting crop yields in vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and carrots. LLDPE has gained significant traction in greenhouse coverings and silage films due to its superior tensile strength, puncture resistance, and durability under Italy’s diverse climatic conditions, from temperate northern regions to warmer southern areas. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is less commonly used but remains essential for heavy-duty applications such as silage storage, irrigation covers, and protective films where rigidity and chemical resistance are required. Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and ethylene-butyl acrylate (EBA) copolymers are increasingly adopted in advanced greenhouse films, providing high clarity, elasticity, UV stability, and thermal insulation to support year-round cultivation of high-value crops. Reclaims, or recycled polyethylene films, are gradually entering cost-sensitive segments such as mulching and silage under Italy’s circular economy and recycling initiatives, although performance constraints limit their use in premium applications. Other specialty materials, including biodegradable and compostable films, are emerging in response to EU Green Deal requirements and national sustainability goals, reflecting Italy’s dual emphasis on high-performance agriculture films and environmental responsibility.

In Italy, agriculture films are extensively applied across greenhouse, mulching, and silage segments, reflecting the country’s diverse agricultural practices and focus on productivity, sustainability, and technological advancement. Greenhouse films represent a major portion of the market, particularly in regions such as Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Lombardy, Sicily, and Puglia, where controlled-environment agriculture supports year-round cultivation of high-value vegetables and fruits including tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and strawberries. Advanced multilayer polyethylene and EVA/EBA copolymer films provide superior light diffusion, UV protection, and thermal insulation, optimizing growing conditions and energy efficiency in commercial greenhouse operations. Mulching films are widely used in open-field vegetable and fruit cultivation across northern, central, and southern Italy, enhancing soil moisture retention, regulating soil temperature, and suppressing weed growth, which contributes to higher crop yields and improved water-use efficiency. The adoption of biodegradable mulching films is gradually increasing, driven by EU sustainability directives, national regulations, and rising environmental awareness among Italian farmers. Silage films are crucial for livestock and dairy farming, particularly in Lombardy, Veneto, Tuscany, and Emilia-Romagna, where maintaining forage quality and preventing spoilage during extended storage is essential. Farmers increasingly rely on multilayer silage wraps and oxygen barrier films to enhance durability and storage performance. Application segmentation in Italy demonstrates a strategic balance: greenhouse films drive technological adoption and export-oriented production, mulching films improve open-field productivity and water efficiency, and silage films ensure livestock feed preservation, collectively supporting Italy’s agricultural efficiency, sustainability, and compliance with regulatory standards.

Considered in this report
• Historic Year: 2019
• Base year: 2024
• Estimated year: 2025
• Forecast year: 2030

Aspects covered in this report
• Agriculture Films Market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Material
• LDPE
• LLDPE
• HDPE
• EVA/EBA
• Reclaims
• Others

BY Application
• Green house
• Mulching
• Silage Show more