The Barilla Group, an Italian pasta brand, is taking a stand for the planet and agricultural communities. By 2020, the company hopes to offer products only at the bottom of the environmental pyramid, as part of a concept developed by the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition. The company is also working to promote social inclusion through food access and diversity, and to improve livelihoods by promoting consumer choices in line with dietary guidelines. To strengthen the group’s environmental philosophy, Barilla recently produced a video in collaboration with digital agency The Ad Store, which summarizes the importance of environmental stewardship and sustainable diets.
The video is part of a larger project, “Good for you, Good for the planet,” related to the promotion of environmental sustainability and healthy eating habits. In line with creating a fair and sustainable business model, the project positively contributes to communities and actors throughout the food supply chain.
Barilla’s 2014 annual report detailed progress on the sustainability goals of the project and established future objectives. Since 2010, Barilla has decreased carbon emissions and consumptive water use by 20 percent per ton of finished product. Projects that improve the competitiveness of local agriculture now involve 1,000 farms, and more than 2,000 tons of Barilla products have been donated worldwide as food aid. In 2014, 33 products were reformulated to improve their nutritional profile; fat was reduced in 30 products and salt was reduced in three products. The company hopes to continue to reduce food waste, creating a more sustainable agriculture system and a nutritionally-balanced diet.
The Barilla Group also collects food stories for a series, “Barilla Insieme,” to highlight ingredients that benefit communities and the natural environment. By sharing stories of collaboration throughout food supply chains, the company hopes to promote a vision of sustainable and inclusive development that involves many stakeholders. “We have a moral duty to suggest directions and proposals in order to interact with [the planet] in a responsible way,” says Chairman Guido Barilla, a fourth-generation owner of the company.
Watch the new video HERE!
