Pesto Barilla Presents Accademia del Basilico: The New Education Program for Basil Farmers

As basil sowing begins, Barilla launches Accademia del Basilico, a training program specifically designed to empower farmers and teach techniques and practices for sustainable basil cultivation. With demand for pesto rising globally, the pesto market experienced a 17% growth in volume from 2023 to 2024 ¹, Barilla places its hero ingredient, basil, at the heart of its sustainability story.

Crafted from a 100% Italian basil supply chain, Pesto Barilla is produced with sustainably farmed basil, which is ISCC Plus certified as part of the Barilla Basil Charter, a set of guidelines verified by RINA (independent third party). This concept of sustainability is further strengthened by the new Accademia del Basilico.

In collaboration with DINAMICA, an organization specialized in agri-food training with the support of Open Fields Srl, Barilla has developed this comprehensive program, launched in January 2025, consisting of seven lessons aimed at enhancing farming practices across the basil supply chain. The vision is fostering long-term relationships with farming communities and bringing value to the Barilla basil supply chain.

"Our Accademia del Basilico isn't just about farming. It is about creating a community of growers who can share knowledge, collaborate, and adopt sustainable practices that improve the basil supply chain" says Matteo Gori, President of Condiments at Barilla.

The curriculum covered key phytosanitary issues, analyzing economic and production impacts of diseases and pests affecting basil crops. Farmers learnt to recognize symptoms of certain diseases, identify infestations and implement effective prevention and control techniques. Moreover, the Agriculture 4.0 topic provided an opportunity to discuss the potential of "precision" agricultural management, where digital technologies prove useful in planning strategies for farming activities.

In 2024, Barilla introduced new Half Flint Jar packaging made with up to 65%recycled glass, used in over 43 million pesto jars, a figure set to grow in the following years. Created in collaboration with Zignago Vetro, it significantly reduces raw material consumption, energy use, and CO2 emissions. An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), a certified report²detailing a product’s life cycle impact, confirms that these jars lower emissions by 28% compared to standard flint glass, assuming the same electricity supply source between the two productions.

¹ Source: Nielsen Market Data FY24 @w52 2024
² Source of information: https://www.environdec.com/library/epd17275

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