2023 Sustainability Report: our commitment to the present and to a better future
30 July 2024
On 5th and 6th June 1972, representatives from 112 United Nations member states convened in Stockholm for the Conference on the Human Environment. The conference marked a significant step towards fostering international cooperation in environmental protection.
To commemorate the resolutions passed during those pivotal days, the United Nations designated 5th June as World Environment Day - a day dedicated to celebrating and underscoring the importance of safeguarding our planet.
For this reason, we decided to pick 5th June as the day to publish our 2023 Sustainability Report: a document that highlights the outcomes of our commitment to environmental conservation, nutrition and community wellbeing.
AUTHENTIC PRODUCTS FOR AN INCREASINGLY BALANCED DIET
Our starting point is always the products and all the evolving recipes that bring joy and goodness into homes everywhere.
Since 2010, we have reformulated 497 recipes, reducing sugar, salt, fat, and saturated fat, while introducing 16 new products in the pasta, bread, and bakery categories with an increased fibre content.
Our goal is to continuously improve and diversify our food offerings, ensuring that those who choose us every day receive products that are not only tastier and more balanced but also safe and nutritious.
Believing in nutrition as a conscious choice, we have worked with local institutions, schools and municipalities to promote educational activities on nutrition and physical fitness. These initiatives have reached 44,500 children and young people, raising awareness about responsible consumption and wellbeing - that can and must be cultivated starting with the choices we make at the table.
FROM FIELD TO FORK, RESPECTING THE PLANET
For us, 2023 was a year of accomplishments and numerous initiatives. These included the confirmation of several sustainable agriculture projects involving over 8,500 farms. These projects ensured the quality of our raw materials and facilitated more efficient working plans for us and our partners, supported by our five cultivation charters – the Decalogue for Sustainable Cultivation of Quality Durum Wheat, the Mulino Charter, the Harrys Charter, the Wasa Charter and the Basil Charter.
Today, 67% of our raw materials come from responsibly managed supply chains. 89% of our durum wheat is purchased from local markets. And our respect doesn’t stop at agricultural raw materials: 100% of the eggs we use is from cage-free hens.
OUR COMMITMENT TO THE CLIMATE
As the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development reminds us, climate change is a key challenge, both for the individual and for companies, which represent a large group of people. We therefore want to continue reducing our impact on the environment in terms of production and logistics.
In addition to promoting sustainable farming practices, since 2010 we have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 28% and water consumption by 21% in our factories. Currently, 62% of the electricity we use comes from renewable sources with guarantee of origin certificates. This figure rises to 100% for our Mulino Bianco, Wasa, GranCereale and Pan di Stelle bakery products and pesto.
In our factories and across all services and projects, we have implemented extensive recycling and water reuse initiatives wherever possible. Additionally, we send 92% of our waste for recycling and energy recovery. Moreover, all packaging for our pasta, sauces, pesto, breads, biscuits, and snacks sold in Italy is designed to support consumer participation in the recycling process. This commitment to a virtuous recycling cycle, if widely adopted, can truly make a significant impact.
We also prioritise reducing the environmental impact of our transport system. So far, we have transitioned 3,500 trucks annually from road to rail and shifted 4,000 shipments from road to intermodal transport, optimising load efficiency.
SUPPORTING PEOPLE
Although we are a food company, our focus is on people - our 9,000 employees, the consumers who choose our products, and the communities we engage with, beginning with our own work environment.
Since 2020, we have ensured gender pay equality for all employees. In 2023, we announced our new Global Parental Leave Policy, guaranteeing a minimum paid parental leave of 12 weeks for all parents, regardless of gender, marital status or sexual orientation.
Since 2010, we have donated over 60 million euros and over 45,000 tonnes of products in the countries where we operate, including 3.2 million euros and around 3,200 tonnes in 2023.
Pietro Barilla often reminded us that "A company is a community formed by men and women united by a common purpose, a common goal, a common belonging." Today, we uphold and honour these words by ensuring access to food for those in need, promoting food education, fostering social inclusion, and supporting local economic development.
We remain committed every day to the joy of food and the pursuit of quality as essential choices for a better life.
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