Together is better: our initiatives in support of people and communities
22 January 2025
As we look back on a year filled with milestones and celebrations, we also look forward to the new year ahead, one that promises change, renewal and challenges that we're eager to embrace and overcome as we continue shaping our future.
While some things are bound to change – and that's only natural – there are others that remain constant: the values that drive us and guide our actions, day in and day out, year after year.
Among these values, one stands out as especially dear to us. It’s a principle that has inspired countless initiatives in support of people and communities over the years, and we’re confident it will continue to guide us: solidarity.

CONNECTED WITH PEOPLE IN ITALY...
We’ve always been committed to staying close to people, working alongside our employees to develop and promote volunteering projects that reflect the values we hold dear. Our team has generously dedicated countless hours to supporting communities.
For instance, in April 2024 in Foggia, our ThisAbility ERG participated in events organised by the iFun association, founded by parents of autistic children, to celebrate World Autism Awareness Week.
Also in 2024, in partnership with Legambiente, our “Be Kind to Nature” ERG took part in cleaning up the Giacomo Ferrari Park in Parma. The team embraced ‘plogging’, an innovative, eco-friendly activity that combines environmental care with personal well-being. Participants collected waste while enjoying outdoor exercise, whether jogging or engaging in other sports.
To celebrate World Kindness Day on 13th November, Mulino Bianco and the Italian Red Cross organised an event that saw 150 of our employees come together to prepare and distribute over 25,000 packages of essential products, including pasta, sauces, rusks and flour, to those in greatest need.
November 2024 also saw the launch of “Pasta Masterclass”, a project to promote diversity and inclusion and promoted by our Academia Barilla in collaboration with Trattoria Solidale, the first educational restaurant in Milan that employs vulnerable people and individuals involved in social reintegration schemes.
...CONNECTED WITH PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD
Not only. Also in 2024, in France, our team participated in the DuoDay initiative – a day dedicated to individuals with disabilities, held on 19th May, which aims to promote solidarity and inclusiveness.
At the same time, in Greece, we partnered with the non-profit organisation The Love Van, which supports vulnerable communities and raises awareness about key social issues. Together, we prepared and donated meals to those in need. Our commitment continued over the Christmas holidays, when we teamed up with Genesis Hellas to prepare 120 packages for the homeless. Each package included a hot meal, accompanied by a handmade greeting card to express our heartfelt support and solidarity.
In the United States, we marked World Volunteer Day on 5th December with two initiatives. First, 51 employees from our Northbrook plant volunteered at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, a vital food bank, where they helped prepare more than 9,500 meals for individuals and families in need. The second initiative took us to the streets of Chicago in a special food truck, where we served 939 plates of pasta in just two days.

JOY OF FOOD
As a food company, we understand the power of food to bring people together, which is why we demonstrate our solidarity and support through food donations. In 2023, we responded to the floods in Campi Bisenzio by donating 5000 kg of products including pasta, sauces and bakery products, which were distributed through the Parma Civil Protection in coordination with the Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany Regions.

Beyond directly reaching communities with our products, we are also committed to supporting numerous non-profit organizations that help vulnerable populations access food, promote food education, foster social inclusion and contribute to local economic development.
Also in 2023, in response to the floods that hit Emilia-Romagna, we donated €1 million to the Civil Defence to rebuild a number of facilities dedicated to socialising and youth involvement, so that children and young people could return to playing sports all year round. Not only that: we went to the front line and encouraged our engineers and technicians to collaborate on reconstruction projects.
In 2024, at our Melfi plant, we donated an Automatic External Defibrillator to the A.S.D. Club Athena Melfi, part of the Special Olympics network and actively involved with our ThisAbility ERG. In Novara, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of our factory and show our support for the local community, we donated a rescue ambulance for medical transport to the local branch of the Italian Red Cross, in the presence of Luca Barilla.

TOGETHER FOR A BETTER FUTURE
Since 2010, we have donated over €60 million to support local community development and more than 45,000 tonnes of products to help alleviate social vulnerabilities. In 2023 alone, our contributions included over €3 million to international and national organisations in Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, Turkey, the United States, Brazil and Australia; more than 3,200 tonnes of product donations; and over 1,000 hours of corporate volunteering. These are just some of the figures contained in the 2023 Sustainability Report, reflecting our continued dedication to fostering solidarity.
Our commitment has continued into 2024 as well: with over 1,400 tonnes of product donated, we have reaffirmed our position as one of Italy’s leading supporters of the Banco Alimentare (Food Bank), renewing a partnership aimed at supporting vulnerable individuals and promoting social inclusion.
We know the journey toward a more solidarity-driven and inclusive future is a long one, but with our passion, experience and determination, we are confident that we can continue making a meaningful impact to help build a better tomorrow.
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:
- Solidarity: The Past, Present and Future of a World-Changing Idea, a book by Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor that deeply examinates solidarity and its potential to effect lasting change.
Related Stories
Discover what's cooking in our world