ITALY | Barilla’s value chain and initiatives have continued to support inclusion and equal opportunities across the Group’s production sites and communities.
These are just some of the “sustainability” stories the Barilla Group is sharing on World Environment Day with the publication of its 2025 Sustainability Report.
The report comes just after Barilla was named the world’s most reputable company in the food sector for the third year running and, for the first time, ranked among the global top 10 in the Global RepTrak 100 2026.
“The future of the planet will increasingly depend on our ability to spread culture and education,” said Paolo Barilla, Vice Chairman of the Barilla Group.
For Barilla, this means caring for communities, promoting strong values, and investing in technologies and production systems that protect the environment and safeguard people’s health.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ACROSS PRODUCTS
Barilla’s passion for good food has driven the company to improve the nutritional profile of its entire portfolio without compromising on taste. That same passion also fuels innovation, with more than EUR 47 million invested in Research, Development and Quality in 2025.
A symbol of this commitment is BITE (Barilla Innovation & Technology Experience), the new global Group innovation hub established in Parma next to the company’s historic pasta plant.
Here, ideas are transformed into prototypes and industrial processes through the work of more than 200 professionals, including food technologists, researchers, food designers, chefs, and sensory experts, supported by a collaboration network of 84 universities and research centres.
QUADRUPLE PHOTOVOLTAIC CAPACITY
On the energy front, EUR 30 million was invested as part of a EUR 168 million five-year plan through 2030 for Barilla’s production sites, spanning energy efficiency, more careful water management and the development of renewable electric energy systems.
In 2025, five new plants were activated in Foggia, Melfi, Ascoli Piceno, Cremona, Italy, and Thiva, Greece, increasing the installed photovoltaic capacity across production sites to over 8 MW, more than four times the 2022 level.
Equally significant is the company’s progress on water conservation.
SUSTAINABLE AND REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE
Climate change and the pressure on natural resources require an evolution of agricultural practices, with a strong focus on the health of soil and ecosystems.
In this context, Barilla’s commitment fits in: in 2025, the company purchased 4,160 tonnes of soft wheat from regenerative agriculture (with a target of 250,000 tonnes by 2030), aimed at restoring soil health and biodiversity while reducing water use.
Through its Barilla Sustainable Farming (BSF) program, active across key crops including cereals and basil, the Group sourced over 816,000 tons of raw materials since 2010, engaging nearly 7,000 farmers.
Building on this long-standing framework, Barilla is progressively scaling regenerative agriculture practices aligned with FAO principles, such as crop rotation, minimum tillage and organic fertilisation, with the objective of improving soil health, enhancing biodiversity and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY
Barilla’s presence in local communities also takes shape through projects that interest the Group’s production sites and public spaces, all rooted in the idea of food as a point of connection between different worlds.
Through initiatives spanning food access and social inclusion, the Group works in partnership with non-profit organisations and local stakeholders in the countries where it operates.
In 2025, Barilla donated 4,000 tons of food products to non-profit organisations worldwide and allocated EUR two million to social causes, supporting initiatives focused on inclusion, education and social well-being.
Alongside community programs, inclusion is also promoted within Barilla’s operations through initiatives that foster equal opportunities and the integration of vulnerable groups across production sites, in line with the Group’s broader People and Social Sustainability agenda.
THE NUMBERS BEHIND RESPONSIBLE GROWTH
Barilla’s sustainability commitment continues to progress alongside its business performance, as reflected in the publication of its two annual reports.
In a year marked by an unstable global environment, amid geopolitical tensions, shifting trade dynamics and major cost volatility, the Barilla Group, with 30 production sites (15 in Italy and 15 abroad) and two million tons of products sold across 100 countries, reported revenues of EUR 4.837 billion.
Once again, the company confirms its commitment to the goals set out in the Barilla 2030 Sustainability Compass, which will continue to guide its direction over the next four years.
More global news here
