ABSTRACT
The chestnut is an important resource both for its wide geographical distribution and its economic and environmental role in many agro-forestry systems. Despite the strong production decrease that characterized the first half of the twentieth century, chestnuts have always represented a significant part of the food market, especially where the chestnut tradition has deep and ancient roots. According to F.A.O. statistics, the major chestnut-producing countries include China, South Korea, Turkey, Italy, Japan, Greece, Portugal, Spain, and France, accounting for more than 2.3 million tonnes of nuts produced in 2017. Countries that are becoming increasingly involved in chestnut production, although contributing to a small proportion of total world production, are Australia, Chile, and the United States. This chapter provides an updated analysis of the global chestnut market, discussing the latest data on market trends by country, consumption, production, and global trade (imports and exports). Different sources were considered, as the chestnut market is difficult to quantify and data are often discordant. The chapter includes a list of the main national stakeholders.
