A recent report released by the Barilla Group highlights the company’s ongoing efforts to support both the wellbeing of people and the planet. The sustainability report, titled Good for You, Good for the Planet, discusses the company’s initiatives around sustainable agriculture and nutrition.
Over the past five years the Parma, Italy based company has reformulated more than 219 products to improve nutritional content by decreasing fat, salt, and sugar, adding fibers, and increasing the number of whole grains offered. In 2015, the Barilla Group purchased 140,000 tons of sustainably grown durum wheat from 1,300 farms, a 50 percent increase from the previous year. The company has also seen a significant increase in the purchase of strategic raw materials from responsible supply chains, from 6 percent to 18 percent, with a goal to reach 100 percent by 2020.
Other findings from the report include Barilla’s commitment to purchasing products locally—100 percent of the tomatoes used for sauces are grown in Italy. The group is the first Italian company to be recognized as a global benchmark for animal wellbeing. Egg pasta, cookies, and other snacks are all made from cage-free hens. Beef and pork for sauces and filled pastas are purchased from suppliers who adhere to high standard of animal welfare. The company has also collaborated with People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to formalize a policy that includes no testing on animals for products or raw materials used.
Other achievements mentioned in the sustainability report include a 19 percent reduction of water consumption and a 23 percent decrease of greenhouse gas emissions per ton of product. Barilla boasts a 74 percent high satisfaction rating from employees through their revolutionary Smart Working project, which allows for more flexibility and a healthy life/work balance. Barilla is also committed to reaching gender equity in leadership positions by 2020.
Additional goals for 2020 from the Barilla Group include improving people’s lives through nutrition and information, reducing the impact of the planet, and encouraging the inclusion of all. According to Guido Barilla, the Chairman of the Barilla Group, “The issues of the wellbeing of the people, food safety, nutrition, environmental sustainability and the social role within the communities where we are operate, present to us extraordinary opportunities to plan an industrial model ever more projected into the future.”
