A new agreement to achieve a more sustainable agriculture was signed in January 2014 between Barilla (one of the most important Italian pasta producers) and Coprob (the Italian consortium of sugar beet growers and the main Italian sugar producer).

The agreement is the natural continuation of a project carried out by Barilla since 2011, the so-called Progetto Filiere Integrate (Integrated Production Chains), which fosters the horizontal cooperation within the Italian agricultural and food sector. The aim of the agreement with Coprob is to achieve maximum integration between the durum wheat and sugar beet production chains in several Northern Italian farms, allowing farmers to perform efficient crop rotation, reducing resource waste and soil impoverishment.

The crop rotation principle, which sees the alternation in the fields of cereals, legumes and oilseeds, is part of traditional agricultural practices worldwide, but Barilla has developed it with modern methods, taking into account meteorological variables and local soil properties. This has allowed Barilla to produce high quality durum wheat whilst reducing the use of fertilizers and improving soil conditions. The crop yield increased by 20% whilst greenhouse emissions dropped by 30%, along with production costs, which were also reduced by 30%.

Thanks to the new agreement, the Coprob producers, who will integrate durum wheat into their crop rotation system, will be able to sell both products to dedicated supply chains with advantageous conditions. Moreover, they will be offered at least three years of training on the most advanced agricultural techniques, in order to improve their competitiveness and efficiency.

For more information please visit the Barilla website