The environmental sustainability of pasta is the subject of a recent scientific study, published in ‘Resources. Researchers from the Universities of Florence and Rome examined two production chains, comparing ancient and modern grains. What horizons?
A world of Italian pasta
Pasta consumption worldwide has nearly doubled, from 9 to 15 million tons per year, in the past decade. And Italy-where this food is consumed regularly by 9 out of 10 people, daily by 1 in 3-is a global player. Not only in per capita consumption (23 kg/year, followed by Tunisia’s 16, Venezuela’s 12 and Greece’s 11.2), but also in manufacturing and exports. To the point that almost a quarter of the pasta consumed on the planet to this day is Made in Italy.
Italian pasta production actually reached 3.4 million tons, in 2018. With a sizeable export share (58 percent, nearly 2 million tons). And Italy is also the leading producer of durum wheat in the European Union, with 1.28 million hectares under cultivation.
Domestic agricultural production, however, is still unable to ensure self-sufficiency in the supply chain. This compares with an industrial requirement of 5.6 mln tons/year of durum wheat and production averaging 4 million tons over the past 5 years (data from Italmopa, Industrial Millers Association of Italy).
100% Italian pasta, a world in the making
Moreover, demand for food products from 100% Made in Italy supply chains is growing strongly, as shown by the2018 Immagino Observatory (GS1-Italy) and the 2019 Coop Italia report.
Moreover, 100% Italian pasta is set to garner increasing interest internationally as well. First, in Europe, thanks to Regulation (EU) 2018/775, which-as of 1.4. 20-requires the origin or provenance of the primary ingredient to be indicated on the label, where it is different from the stated country of production. (2)
Sustainable production and consumption, the case of pasta
The #WorldPastaDay, in its 21st edition on 10/25/19, was dedicated to #aldente cooking. A topic good for any time and circumstance, but at the same time futile and untimely. All the more so now, in the presence of ‘hot topics’ such as:
- Sensational growth in global pasta consumption,
- surge in demand for short supply chain products,
- New EU rules on primary ingredient labeling,
- mistrust of wheat from Canada because of glyphosate allowed there in the pre-harvest stage,
- increasing attention to the
Sustainable Development Goals
, SDGs, in UN Agenda 2030.
How to achieve Sustainable Development Goal no. 12, Sustainable Production and Consumption? How can the pasta supply chain contribute to the achievement of other SDGs? So how can this supply chain be transformed so that it becomes ‘part of the solution’ rather than remaining ‘part of the problem’ of climate change?
Environmental sustainability is the real issue to be addressed, having regard to energy and water consumption, waste generation, CO2 emissions generated by production and transportation, and maintenance of biodiversity and soil quality. In more general terms, sustainability can be understood as the ability to preserve favorable environmental, social and economic conditions over the long term.
Environmental footprint of pasta, local ‘ancient’ grains vs. international ‘modern’ grains compared. The scientific study
The scientific study published in Resources, by a research team from the Universities of Rome and Florence, is devoted precisely to ‘Environmental Sustainability of Pasta Production Chains: An Integrated Approach for Comparing Local and Global Chains.’ (3) Researchers measured the environmental footprint of two production chains. The former uses ‘ancient’ grain semolina (Senatore Cappelli variety) and traditional techniques, the latter uses ‘modern’ domestic and foreign grains as well as industrial processes.
The research was conducted using an integrated method of analysis, which is based on EIAN(Environmental Impacts ANalysis) and LCA(Life Cycle Assessment). To measure the environmental footprint of supply chains-from planting to consumption, without neglecting the intermediate stages (storage and logistics)-on soil, water, air, natural resources and climate change. Ancient grains are confirmed to be more environmentally friendly, due to lower fertilizer consumption and lower levels of mechanization.
Previous research, which we also wrote about, had already shown that growing ancient grains organically even has a negative carbon footprint. This work in turn shows how the production of 1 kg of dry pasta, as appropriate, requires:
– 1.706 kg CO2e, 13.7 MJ fossil energy, 0.206 kg nonrenewable resources, for pasta from ancient grains and traditional techniques,
– 1.765 kg CO2eq, 14.3 MJ fossil energy, 0.152 kg nonrenewable energy for pasta from modern wheat of various origins.
However, ancient grains stand out above all for reducing the risk of soil degradation and maintaining the agrobiodiversity that their cultivation enables, researchers confirm. Even if their yields are lower, resulting in the use of more area and more water–compared with modern cultivars–to obtain the same amounts of dough.
Sustainable pasta, what horizons?
Fifteen years ago, the Italian food industry-actually led by the Barilla group, the top contributor to the then UNIPI (Unione Industriali Pastai Italiani, now Unione Italiana Food)-opposed demands for origin labeling of raw materials claiming that Italian agricultural production was insufficient in quantity and quality. To make up for this stated deficit, Italy has always imported wheat from Canada, the U.S., Australia, France, Mexico and Eastern Europe. Within a decade, however, this false rhetoric has been replaced by the promotion of Italian wheat pasta (by the Barilla group itself, under the Voiello brand).
Durum wheat imports from Canada have plummeted. For even the large pasta industries, with rare exceptions, have finally realized the trend that the large-scale retail trade (GDO) had intercepted in a timely manner. That is, consumAtors’ interest in 100% Italian pasta, strictly glyphosate-free. And without those mycotoxins, mutagenic and carcinogenic, which find ideal proliferation environment in the holds of grain ships.
The new horizon for pasta in Italy is a return to its origins, with the guarantees offered by innovation. Genetically characterized ancient grains, grown organically-which continues to grow-and tracked with a public blockchain system (e.g., Wiise Chain).
Fair and sustainable supply chains, biodiversity and respect, of ecosystems and those who inhabit them. Affordably priced, without sacrificing recognition of the efforts of those who engage in a ‘good and fair’ supply chain. A matter of common sense and efficiency.
Dario Dongo and Paolo Caruso
Notes
(1) Lucia Recchia, Alessio Cappelli, Enrico Cini, Francesco Pegna, Paolo Boncinelli. (2019). Environmental Sustainability of Pasta Production Chains: An Integrated Approach for Comparing Local and Global Chains. Resources. 8. 56. 10.3390/resources8010056
(2) The writer renamed ‘Origin Planet Earth’ the reg. EU 2018/775, due to the vagueness of the allowed claims (up to ‘EU/non-EU‘, Planet Earth Origin precisely) and unjustified derogations. In favor of geographical indications contained in trademarks, PGI, organic products. In any case, its application makes it easy to distinguish pasta from foreign wheat vs. 1 easily distinguished
(3) See footnote 1
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Agronomist, collaborates with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment of the University of Catania, Agronomy and Herbaceous Crops section. Researcher on ancient Sicilian grains.
