Italian food giant Barilla has published its 2024 Sustainability Report, outlining progress on environmental and social initiatives whilst setting ambitious targets for the end of the decade.

"Our commitment takes concrete shape through a new strategic approach to sustainability, fully integrated with our business strategy," said Gianluca Di Tondo, CEO of the Barilla Group. "A path that will guide us through to 2030, transforming our vision into daily actions and concrete commitments."

The company's founding family also emphasised their long-term vision.

"What we are sharing in the new Sustainability Report is the result of a vision that will trace the path towards our future," stated Guido, Luca and Paolo Barilla. "The road will be long and complex as always, but thanks to the commitment and passion of our People we are ready to continue the journey with the same intensity and determination with which we began."

Financial Performance and Investment

The Barilla Group reported turnover of €4.883 billion in 2024, representing a 1.7% increase when adjusted for exchange rate effects. The company allocated €300 million towards industrial development, innovation and continuous improvement projects, with €50 million specifically earmarked for quality, food safety, nutrition and sustainable packaging initiatives.

Nutritional Improvements

Barilla has made measurable progress in reformulating its products. Currently, 88% of volumes sold contain a maximum of 5g of sugar and do not exceed 0.5g of salt per serving - improvements of 0.7% and 1.5% respectively compared to 2023. Additionally, 90% of volumes are sources of fibre, whilst 65% of single-portion bakery products contain no more than 150 calories per portion.

Supply Chain Sustainability

The company's Barilla Sustainable Farming programme now involves over 7,000 farmers across 815,000 tonnes of purchases, covering four strategic supply chains: durum wheat, common wheat, rye and basil. This year saw the launch of "Accademia del Basilico," a comprehensive training programme developed with 21 partners to teach sustainable basil cultivation techniques.

Barilla sources 100% of its eggs from free-range hens and does not conduct or finance animal testing. The company aims to source 250,000 tonnes of raw materials from certified regenerative agriculture by 2030.

Energy and Water Efficiency

The group currently sources 48% of its electricity from renewable sources and has installed 4MW of photovoltaic systems for self-generation over the past five years. Two new plants became operational in 2024 at Rubbiano: a 1.5MWp system for the Sauces site and a 0.3MWp system for the Bakery site. During summer months, self-generated renewable energy can cover one full day per week of sauce and pesto production.

Water management has also improved significantly. The volume of recycled and recovered water at production sites in water-stressed areas has increased by 164% over the past two years. At the Rubbiano plant alone, water recovered within the industrial cycle over two years equates to 24 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Workforce and Community Support

Barilla employs nearly 9,000 people globally and has maintained gender pay parity since 2020. The company introduced enhanced parental leave policies in 2023, guaranteeing all parents a minimum of 12 weeks fully paid leave regardless of gender, marital status or sexual orientation. Currently, 35% of executives and managers are women, with a target of 40% by 2030.

In 2024, the company donated over €2 million and more than 3,700 tonnes of food products to local communities. Over 300 employees contributed more than 1,000 hours of corporate volunteering through partnerships with Food Bank, Italian Red Cross and Caritas Diocesana.

2030 Sustainability Targets

Barilla has set specific objectives for 2030, aligned with Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) commitments to limit global warming to 1.5°C:

• 250,000 tonnes per year of raw materials from regenerative agriculture

• 24MW of installed capacity for renewable energy self-generation

• 250% increase in recycled and reused water in water-stressed areas

• 4,000 tonnes reduction in packaging materials through eco-design projects

• 90% of volumes sold to contain maximum 0.5g salt per serving

• 95% of products to be sources of fibre

  
  

The company has been recognised as the leading food company globally by reputation according to Global RepTrak® 100 for the second consecutive year.