ASSICA ANNOUNCES ITS ‘SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMME
On the occasion of the ASSICA 2022 Annual General Meeting, the first “Sustainability Programme”, realised by the Association in tandem with IVSI (Istituto Valorizzazione Salumi Italiani), was previewed today.
With this document, the Italian charcuterie sector ratifies a “change of step” that has been underway for some time: to affirm and enhance the sensitivity and proactivity of the sector with respect to sustainable development.
Among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (called Goals) of the UN 2030 Agenda (SDGs), 5 have been selected, those on which charcuterie producers can make a significant contribution and on which to concentrate the most consistent efforts:
Goal 7 – Clean and affordable energy;
Goal 8 – Decent work and economic growth;
Goal 9 – Enterprise, Innovation and Infrastructure;
Goal 12 – Responsible consumption and production;
Goal 13 – Combat climate change.
The 2021 analysis showed that the companies in the sector are most active on Goal number 8 (34%), immediately followed by Goal 12 (26.4%) and Goal 9 (24.2%), and there is ample room for improvement with regard to Goal 7, on which the companies participating in the study currently make a contribution of 15% but believe they can increase it in the near future.
In order to create a path strongly linked to reality, the companies themselves were involved, triggering a process of understanding and sharing, followed by phases based on rationalisation and training.
In terms of environmental sustainability, the main best practices highlighted in the Programme concern the monitoring of emissions in plants at all levels, from in-house biogas generators with collection of waste and by-products from slaughtering and farming, to 100% renewable energy contracts. On the subject of economic sustainability, the process of improving the nutritional values of products on the market has involved all the main Italian cured meats, just as the investment in research for innovative solutions to reduce the use of plastic and contain the environmental impact of packaging at the end of its life, transforming it from waste into a useful resource for the protection of the environment is general. On the social side, the most widespread and significant good practices concern the wellbeing and training of workers and collaboration with local non-profit organisations, while ASSICA’s commitment is highlighted above all in training, in collaboration with IVSI. In addition to the three dimensions of sustainability, ample space is also dedicated to the theme of ‘animal welfare’, one of the most delicate and specific topics for delicatessen companies,
What is taking place is a concrete cultural change of step that sees sustainability as a business opportunity and not as a burden, as a necessity to remain competitive on the market. The evolution of this approach translates into considering sustainability as one of the factors, of the values, placed at the centre of the company strategy of the present and the future. Hence the need for the Sustainability Programme, a publication that responds to the vision of ASSICA, which is also involved in an ambitious project, ‘Trust Your Taste, CHOOSE EUROPEAN QUALITY’, co-financed by the European Union, which has among its objectives precisely the promotion of the production culture of pork and cured meats, dedicating ample space to the values that inspire it: quality, food safety and sustainability.
