A large tourism sector fuels consumption in a number of food and drink sectors, including soft and alcoholic drinks. Across the

region, any fluctuations in tourism levels have a noticeable impact on the premium alcoholic drinks sector, where the majority of

consumption can be attributed to affluent tourists. In the food sector, segments that are particularly reliant on the tourist dollar

include convenience and brand-name products from the US.

Over the 2012-2017 period, the gross value added (GVA) of the food and beverage manufacturing industry expanded at a slow CAGR of 0.2%. The industry was negatively affected by sluggish overall economic activity, stubbornly high inflation and the depreciation of the Argentine peso against the US dollar, which raised production costs, and, at the same time, reduced households’ disposable incomes. However, the sector – being focused on the production of essential goods – outperformed manufacturing industry as a whole, whose GVA contracted at an annual average rate of 1.1% over the same period.

North African cuisine contains many elements of African and Mediterranean cultures, with other factors shaping food consumption preference, including trading networks and the region's colonial heritage. Given the prevalence of Islam in the region, pork is marginalised; instead, lamb and fish are widely consumed. Couscous is also part of the staple diet across the region. While governments across the region have traditionally supported consumption through subsidies, Morocco has put an end to these policies in recent years, in a bid to reduce budget shortfalls. For now, food subsidies remain in place in Algeria, although the low oil price environment will continue to constrain government revenues and could result in subsidy cuts over the coming years.

In 2018, Croatian Chamber of Commerce conducted a national survey of dietary habits the country. The survey found that per capita consumption of meat and fish in Croatia was among the lowest in the EU. Podravka is one of the largest conglomerates in the country, as well as regionally, with production facilities located in Croatia, Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as most recently in the US. In March 2018, Poland-based Enterprise Investors signed an agreement to acquire a 65% stake in Croatian baked goods company Pan Pek. New owners plan to invest in an expansion of Pan Pek's retail operations.

The Czech Republic's highly developed food market is one of the most mature in the region. The meat and dairy sectors lead the processing industry, followed by edible oils and fruits and vegetables, with the food-processing industry accounting for more than 15% of the country's industrial output.

According to Egypt's Export Council for Food Industries, food exports during H1 2018 totalled USD1.44bn, led by frozen vegetables (USD191mn), soft drinks (USD187mn) and cheese (USD139m). Arab countries accounted for the largest share of the exports of Egyptian food industries by 52%, worth USD753mn, followed by the EU with 15% of total exports (USD213mn). The Egyptian parliament approved a draft law in April 2018 to regulate the country's large informal food vending sector. The draft law aims to comprehensively legalise mobile food carts by granting operating licenses from administrative authorities. Egypt is the fourth-largest halal food market globally, behind Indonesia, Turkey, and Pakistan.

6 月，食品行业生产稳中略升，食品制造业工业企业增加值同比增长5%；农副食品加工业企业增加值同比增长5.9%；酒、饮料和精制茶制造业工业企业增加值同比增长8.4%。行业固定资产投资增速持续负增长。其中，农副食品加工业投资同比减少2.8%；食品制造业投资同比减少0.3%；酒、饮料和精制茶制造业投资同比减少7.9%。