Our sustainable and regenerative agriculture practices for an increasingly green future
24 April 2024
“The joy of food for a better life” is our purpose. This sentence illustrates both who we are and our commitment to people and the planet, which is to offer good products, made with high quality ingredients from sustainable supply chains.
Therefore, we continue to promote sustainable and land-friendly farming practices, reducing the environmental impact of our strategic supply chains.
Our three standards for the sustainable cultivation of durum wheat and soft wheat – the Durum Wheat Manifesto, Carta del Mulino (‘Mulino Charter’) and Harrys Charter – were joined in 2020 by the Carta del Basilico (‘Basil Charter’), which guarantees social and environmental sustainability for 100% Italian and ISCC PLUS-certified supply chain for our basil.
Today, we are proud to say that 67% of our raw materials – including durum wheat, soft wheat, rye, tomatoes, basil, cocoa and vegetable oils – are responsibly sourced, and their quality is guaranteed by the more than 10,000 companies involved in sustainable agriculture projects with which we work.
Today, we are proud to confirm our support for local agriculture, which translates into choosing, whenever possible, raw materials grown close to our production plants, to minimise the time between harvesting and processing the product.
We now aspire to take another, decisive step forward: one that will lead us to increasingly adopt and practice regenerative agriculture.
WHAT IS REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE?
The word regenerate comes from the Latin word regenerare, and properly means “to recover or ensure the recovery of new strength, new vigour, new energy.” It means to give or receive new life.
So, what do we mean when we talk about 'regenerative' agriculture?
According to the definition also adopted by FAO - the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations - regenerative agriculture is an inclusive approach to agro-ecosystems intended to conserve the land, and especially the soil, by means of sustainable agronomic techniques and state-of-the-art technologies.
In essence, regenerative agriculture aims to improve biodiversity and promote a positive impact on soil organic matter - an indication of fertility - and water management, while bearing in mind the importance of agricultural yields, acting as a decisive lever to combat climate change and achieve the 2050 goals that the UN has set for itself.
For this reason, we too have chosen to introduce principles of regenerative agriculture already included in our Carta del Mulino: to increase the extent of our contribution to environmental sustainability and our commitment to an increasingly green future.
WASA X INDIGO AGRICULTURE: A FERTILE ENCOUNTER
In 2020, we took an important first step with our brand Wasa by launching our regenerative agriculture pilot project.
Through our collaboration with Indigo Agriculture, a US company whose goal is to support farmers committed to operating sustainably, and Svensk Kolinlagring, a non-profit organisation that helps Swedish farmers take measures to increase the level of organic carbon in the soil, we have worked to make the cultivation and harvesting of rye, the most popular cereal used in the production of the iconic Wasa crispbreads, even more sustainable.
Over the past three years, we have supported twelve farmers in Germany and Sweden who contribute to our daily rye supply, helping them convert from traditional production techniques to innovative regenerative farming methods. And we will continue to do so: at the beginning of 2024, we decided to renew our commitment for a further two years, so that we can monitor the response of the soil and its properties to this decisive change.
Furthermore, in accordance with the European Union's objectives, through our pilot project we helped Indigo Agriculture test the Carbon programme launched in the United States in 2019 in Europe, and confirmed, once again, how our commitment to a more sustainable tomorrow is not just for our company, but for the entire planet, and the world we all inhabit.
IN PARMA, IF IT'S GOOD IT'S ALSO BEAUTIFUL
On the strength of our experience with Wasa, in 2023 we launched a new regenerative agriculture project alongside the Davines Group, a leading company in the professional cosmetics sector with which we share not only an international outlook but also roots: “Bello&buono” is a three-year project intended to compare traditional farming methods with systems and practices that promote soil “regeneration”, both environmentally and socially, and return agricultural areas to their natural balance.
The project is taking place in two areas of Parma at the same time: one at the Barilla site in Pedrignano, the other at the Davines site, both about 10,000 square metres. There, our Agronomic Research team and that of Davines have begun carefully to experiment with the rotational cultivation of wheat and chickpea, destined to become premium food, and essences used in the cosmetics industry, such as lemon balm, marigold and lavender.
Therefore, starting in 2023 and for the following two years, we plan to demonstrate how soil quality, structure and fertility, water management and biodiversity are influenced and improved by regenerative agricultural practices.
Furthermore, through the “Bello&buono” project, we want to highlight the synergy between “regeneration” of the soil and “regeneration” of the human being who, thanks to our new agricultural techniques, can benefit from an increasingly healthy diet.
“Barilla has long promoted the transition process towards more sustainable farming systems, in order to reduce environmental impact and preserve biodiversity: regenerative agriculture is one of these”, said Elena Bertè, Agronomy Research Manager at the Barilla Group. “Our approach is based on research, study and measurement, to lay a solid scientific foundation to improve the environment in which we live, via our supply chains and our products”.
OUR PLAYLIST OF THE MONTH
If you want to delve deeper into the topics we have just addressed, here are some reading, listening and watching suggestions:
- Kiss the ground, a documentary by Josh Tickell in which scientists and activists reiterate how safeguarding the planet begins above all with caring for the earth's soil;
-For the Love of Soil: Strategies to Regenerate Our Food Production Systems, a book by Nicole Masters that reminds us we must take a soil-first approach to regenerate landscapes, restore natural cycles, and bring vitality back to ecosystems;
-Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, a podcast by John Kempf to learn about the science and principles of regenerative agriculture systems.
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