Montella's chestnut groves took center stage during the 42nd Festa della Castagna IGP, which ran in Montella through Sunday, 8 November 2026. Coldiretti Avellino used the festival to highlight chestnut cultivation, quality production and development prospects for farm businesses.
At the heart of the message is the Castagna di Montella IGP, presented as a product tied to Irpinia's agricultural identity, mountain landscape and know-how passed between generations. For Coldiretti, chestnut growing is not only a crop but an economic, environmental and social resource for inland areas, supporting landscape care, local employment and the future of mountain communities.
The warning concerns production pressure. Coldiretti estimated a roughly 25% year-on-year decline in Italian chestnut production in 2026, pointing mainly to the effects of climate change while describing quality as excellent. The article does not provide the methodology behind that estimate.
Campania remains central to the national picture. According to the report, the region is Italy's leading region by productive chestnut area, accounting for more than one third of the country's nearly 40,000 cultivated hectares. Italian chestnut imports exceeded 14 million kilograms in 2025.
Coldiretti representatives called for stronger supply-chain organisation, investment in quality and innovation, fair remuneration for producers, and measures addressing production costs, climate change and market dynamics.
The Montella festival itself was framed as more than a food event: a meeting point between agriculture, environmental protection, culture and tourism.
