Fixing the Business of Food: The Food Industry and the SDG Challenge

In collaboration with the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the Santa Chiara Lab of the University of Siena, CCSI presented its first report on Fixing the Business of Food. The document, part of a two-year effort, highlights the sustainable development challenge faced by the food industry. By proposing a Four Dimension framework, the report asks four overarching questions for companies in the food sector to address alignment with the SDGs: Does the company contribute to healthy and sustainable dietary patterns through its products and strategy? Are the company’s production processes economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable? Are the company’s global supply chains sustainable? Is the company a good corporate citizen? After an initial analysis of ten major companies in the food industry, the report makes a series of recommendations that will be addressed through this collaboration. Under this project, the partners expect to engage with industry leaders, and to consult with representatives of key reporting standards, monitoring agencies, and academic disciplines to help build a consensus on best practices, reporting standards, and supply-chain monitoring to address the areas identified and highlighted in the report

Fixing Food : The Mediterranean Region

This report investigates food sustainability issues in the Mediterranean in the context of the various social, economic and environmental challenges confronting the region. As a framework, it uses the three pillars—sustainable agriculture, nutritional challenges, and food loss and waste—of the Food Sustainability Index (FSI), developed by The Economist Intelligence Unit with the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition Foundation (BCFN). Refer to their earlier report, Fixing Food: towards a more sustainable food system, for a detailed explanation of the index and its composition.Its french version is also available online

Gianluigi Zenti, President, Academia Barilla SpA - The Changing Consumer: Demanding but Predictable

It is crucial to understand and predict consumers' behaviour to meet future consumer demands. This report contributes to the discussion by giving an insight into consumers' behaviour from the perspective of Gianluigi Zenti, executive director of Academia Barilla. It is discussed how consumers' choice has changed in particular with regard to Italian food in the US and how Barilla has responded to that challenge.Consumer demand, consumer behaviour, Academia Barilla, Italian food, Consumer/Household Economics,

The Cowl - v.78 - n.5 - Oct 3, 2013

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Volume 78 - No. 5 - October 3, 2013. 24 pages

Sustainable Diets : Good For You, Good For The Environment

The concept of a 'sustainable diet' encompasses an intricate web of nutritional, economic, environmental, social and cultural issues that concern the whole supply chain, where farmers and consumers only represent two pieces of the puzzle. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), sustainable diets are "those diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations. Sustainable diets are protective and respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems, culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair and affordable; nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy; while optimizing natural and human resources." 1 Food production and consumption models have a massive impact not only on health and the environment, but also on the socio-economic system as a whole. Therefore, sustainable diets are a strong foundation for a viable economy, which the European Union institutions and Member States should strive to achieve through a pan-European strategy. The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition Foundation (BCFN) wishes to share its contribution to this possible strategy by providing an optimum model to achieve sustainability goals: the Food and Environmental Double Pyramid, a cornerstone for a greener and healthier economy in Europe.

Theories and contemporary challenges of a global pasta leader: the case of Barilla SpA

Barilla Holding SpA (Barilla), a successful multinational foods manufacturing company with headquarters in Parma, Italy began with humble beginnings in 1877 (Barilla, 2014a) as a small bread and pasta shop -- Barilla is now a leading global sales player second only to private label brands, jumping from 9-12% of total market from the period 2009-2014 and is the dominant sales leader in both Italy and the US with 2014 sales of 900 and 800 US$ million respectively (Euromonitor, 2015) -- This paper looks at the process of internationalization, paralleling both traditional and contemporary academic models, focusing on such issues as marketing to the gay and lesbian market, family succession roadblocks, and navigating social media gaffs -- These contemporary academic models highlight challenges, strategies, sales and market share dynamics for the company with suggestions for navigating the road ahea

Development and Testing of Gluten-Free Pasta Based on Rice, Quinoa and Amaranth Flours

The goal of this study was to make high quality gluten-free pasta using amaranth, quinoa and rice flours, water and eggs using extrusion processing, and to compare these with gluten-free pasta already commercialized. The difficulty was to reproduce the texture provided by the gluten network without using gluten. To do that, an experimental design was created in order to make samples with different quantities of each grain, egg whites and water. Samples were manufactured and various tests (e.g., color analysis, water activity, cooking loss, texture, etc.) were carried out in order to find the best formulation, namely the formulation which was closest to Barilla or Andean dream gluten-free commercial pasta. With Rcommander software, results were analyzed and it was determined that the best pasta formulation was 10% amaranth flour, 40% quinoa flour, and 50% rice flour, with 18% eggs whites and 39% water. This optimal formulation was manufactured and subjected to sensory analysis with other commercial samples (Barilla, Andean Dream). Statistical analyses were conducted and it was shown that, even though this formulation did not quite achieve Barilla or Andean Dream pastas quality, it approached closely in some parameters. Indeed, 80% of consumers did not refuse to eat this pasta again, and with addition of tomato sauce, no differences were seen between the spaghettis. However, individual sample analysis did indicate that consumers did not appreciate the formulation’s sticky texture, thus this parameter would have to be reworked to achieve higher quality

Continuing Concentration in Food Industries Globally: Strategic Challenges to an Unstable Status Quo

Industrial Organization,

Local to global policy as a catalyst for change: key messages

Feeding and nourishing a growing and changing global population in the face of rising numbers of chronically hungry people, slow progress on malnutrition, environmental degradation, systemic inequality, and the dire projections of climate change, demands a transformation in global food systems. Policy change at multiple levels is critical for catalysing an inclusive and sustainable transformation in food systems; global and regional policy are transformative only insofar as they are translated into ambitious national action with adequate support, including both public and private investment. Three areas of policy change show potential to be catalytic: 1) reducing emissions and increasing resilience, 2) tackling food loss and waste, and 3) shifting diets to promote nutrition and sustainability. Trade-offs mean a multi-sectoral approach to policymaking is needed, while inequalities in food systems necessitate transparent, inclusive processes and results. Gender inequality, in particular, must be addressed. Transformation demands participation and action from all actors

Pasta consumption and connected dietary habits: Associations with glucose control, adiposity measures, and cardiovascular risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes—TOSCA.IT study

Background: Pasta is a refined carbohydrate with a low glycemic index. Whether pasta shares the metabolic advantages of other low glycemic index foods has not really been investigated. The aim of this study is to document, in people with type-2 diabetes, the consumption of pasta, the connected dietary habits, and the association with glucose control, measures of adiposity, and major cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: We studied 2562 participants. The dietary habits were assessed with the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) questionnaire. Sex-specific quartiles of pasta consumption were created in order to explore the study aims. Results: A higher pasta consumption was associated with a lower intake of proteins, total and saturated fat, cholesterol, added sugar, and fiber. Glucose control, body mass index, prevalence of obesity, and visceral obesity were not significantly different across the quartiles of pasta intake. No relation was found with LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, but there was an inverse relation with HDL-cholesterol. Systolic blood pressure increased with pasta consumption; but this relation was not confirmed after correction for confounders. Conclusions: In people with type-2 diabetes, the consumption of pasta, within the limits recommended for total carbohydrates intake, is not associated with worsening of glucose control, measures of adiposity, and major cardiovascular risk factors