Some stories begin in the wheat fields and end up redesigning the future. Among these, the green turn of Tagliatelle which, thanks to “light” packaging, says goodbye to 150 tons of cardboard, cutting transport fumes by 20%. Or i ready sauceskept in jars of which two thirds have already lived another life in the form of recycled glass. A form of sustainability that is not just a chemical formula or an ecological balance sheet. It is the living land of Buongrano flour, born from regenerative agriculture, and it is, above all, the human embrace of projects that bring the inclusion of people with autism into the factories. Proof that to feed the planet, sometimes you need to be able to look beyond the plate.
These are just some of the “sustainability stories” that the Barilla Group presents on the occasion of World Environment Daywith the publication of Sustainability Report 2025. A report that comes the day after the recognition as the first company in the food sector by reputation in the world for the third consecutive year and, for the first time, in the absolute top 10, according to the Global RepTrak 100 2026.
«The future of the planet will be increasingly linked to the ability to spread culture and education», he states Paolo Barilla, Vice President of the Barilla Group. «For Barilla, this means taking care of communities, promoting good values and investing in technologies and production oriented towards protecting the environment and attentive to people’s health».
Continuous improvement of products Barilla
The passion for good food has driven Barilla to improve the nutritional profile of the entire portfolio without sacrificing taste: 89% of the volumes sold have a maximum content of 5 grams of sugar per portion, 90% do not exceed 0.5 grams of salt per portion, 90% contain sources of fiber and 72% of the baked single portions remain below 150 calories.
And it is the same passion that drives the company towards innovation, with the investment of over 47 million euros in Research, Development and Quality in 2025. The symbol of this commitment is the Bite (Barilla Innovation & Technology Experience), the Group’s new global innovation hub built in Parma next to the historic pasta factory. Here, ideas become prototypes and an industrial process thanks to the work of over 200 professionals including food technologists, researchers, food designers, chefs and sensory experts, as well as a network of collaborations made up of 84 universities and research centres.
How Barilla quadrupled the photovoltaic capacity of pasta factories and bakeries in 2025
On the energy front, they were invested 30 million euros as part of the five-year plan of 168 million euros by 2030, intended for Barilla production plantsbetween energy efficiency, more careful management of water resources and the development of electricity systems from renewable sources. In 2025, 5 new plants activated in Foggia, Melfi, Ascoli Piceno, Cremona and Thiva, in Greece, brought the capacity photovoltaic installed in the factories to exceed 8 MW, more than quadruple compared to 2022. And further installations are planned between 2026 and 2028 in the bakery plants of Novara and Celle, in Germany.
Equally significant is the work on water saving: in factories in areas with water stress, recycled and reused water has grown by 196% compared to 2022, aiming for the objective of +250% by 2030.
Over 4000 tons of soft wheat from regenerative agriculture
Climate change and pressure on natural resources require an evolution in agricultural practices, also focusing on the health of the soil and ecosystems. Barilla’s commitment fits into this context, which in 2025 purchased 4,160 tonnes of soft wheat from regenerative agriculture (250,000 tonnes is the 2030 objective), which aims to restore soil health, biodiversity and reduce water use. And it is from here that the Mulino Bianco Buongrano biscuit arrived on the shelves in 2025, the first product made with 100% soft wheat flour from regenerative agriculture, certified according to the Regenerative Agriculture Standard of FoodChain ID.
Behind that cookie there is years of work: crop rotations, minimal soil tillage, organic fertilization and 2,000 hectares dedicated to areas of biodiversity – which flourish among the wheat fields, with a 40% increase in pollinating insects in the areas monitored together with the University of Bologna. A project born from the «Carta del Mulino» program which today involves almost 2000 soft wheat farmers, and has allowed an annual reduction in CO₂eq emissions of approximately 9,000 tonnes, the equivalent of over 2000 return flights from Milan to Los Angeles.
Barilla’s commitment to the community
Barilla’s presence in the communities is also expressed through projects that concern the Group’s production sites and initiatives in the squares with activities that see the food as a connection point between different realities. For example, with PizzAut PastAut was born, the collaboration that led to the inclusion of Barilla pasta in the menus of restaurants managed by autistic children in Cassina de’ Pecchi and Monza, made possible thanks to the training of the chefs of Academia Barilla. Barilla products themselves become megaphones for social causes, as happened with activities such as Biscotti di Felicità, together with Dynamo Camp and Biscotti senza Frontiere, developed with Doctors Without Borders.
During 2025, Barilla donated 4,000 tons of products to non-profit organizations and allocated 2 million euros to social causes. But inclusion is also a daily practice that lives in production departments and in conversations between people. Two factories, for example, communicate this message with concrete examples: thanks to the collaboration with iFun, six young people with autism started working in the pasta factory in Foggia in March 2025. And in Francein the La Malterie bakery, people with autism have permanently entered into production with permanent contracts, thanks to the model developed with Vivre et travailler autrement and the support of AGEFIPH, the French national body that finances initiatives for the inclusion of people with disabilities.
The strength of this bond is told by the voice of those who work in the field every day: «Barilla is our historic partner», he reports Marco Piuri, president of the Food Bank Foundation«and also in an international context like Tuttofood, as well as throughout the year, continues to donate food to us which, delivered to our volunteers, becomes a precious resource for many families and people in difficulty. We thank you because you support and concretely contribute to our commitment to food aid in Italy.”
The numbers of a company that grows responsibly
The commitment to sustainability develops in parallel with that of the business, as confirmed by the publication of the two annual reports. In a year marked by an unstable global context, between geopolitical tensions, new commercial dynamics and strong cost fluctuations, the Barilla Group, with 30 production areas (15 in Italy and 15 abroad) and 2 million tons of products sold in 100 countries, sees its turnover reach 4,837 million euros (+1% net of the exchange rate effect). And this year too it confirms its commitment in line with the objectives of the Barilla 2030 Sustainability Compass, to outline the direction for the next 4 years.
«Our Sustainability Stories» summarizes the most significant initiatives and objectives for us mentioned in the Barilla Sustainability Report 2025. «Our Sustainability Stories» and the complete reporting of the Barilla Sustainability Report 2025 are available at https://www.barillagroup.com/it/sostenibilita/.
