The focus of this paper is on the quality certification based on ISO 9000:1994 and on the results that this choice produce in the agro‑food system of a mediterranean region of the European Union. The paper is divided in three parts. The first pan develops the aspects on the growth of certificacion phenomenon in Italy and in European Union. The second step presents the methodology and the location of research. The third step shows the results of this study about sicilian agro‑food firms. The results of the investigation allow to demonstrate that the choice of certification is, at the present, the best opportunity for the firms and represents a model to imitate by all companies that want to stay and grow their presence in the national and international markets.