
Heritage & Innovation
Enhancing our Impact








To all our valued collaborators, partners, and customers,
During this pivotal moment of breakthrough and reflection in our company’s journey, I’m eager to share this decisive chapter of our history. Our story began in 1985, in Calabria, Italy, fertile ground for our commitment and passion towards the world of citrus.
From its inception, our connection to the land and to the citrus supply chain has been the linchpin around which our corporate mission revolves. This connection, grounded in respect and care, has taught us the importance of operating in harmony with the environment around us. It is this deep connection with our roots that today guides us toward an even stronger commitment: that of sustainability.
Under the guidance of a dedicated team, and thanks to the support of all those who are part of the Agrumaria Reggina community, we have decided to embark on a virtuous pathway of sustainability, implemented at all levels of the company. This strategic choice not only reflects our commitment to the planet and its people, but it also represents a bridge to the future, a future in which a balance between progress and nature is possible.
Our journey towards comprehensive sustainability is manifested through environmentally friendly farming practices, the adoption of clean technologies, and an ethical approach to our employees and community. This process crucially embraces our responsibility to minimize the environmental impact of our production processes, from cultivation to distribution, with continued respect for the earth that nourishes and sustains us.
Transparency and accountability are our guiding principles throughout this journey. We are committed to sharing the progress we make with you through periodic sustainability reports, so that you can be an active part of this transformation.
We invite every member of our team, every partner and customer, to join us in this commitment. Together, we can build a future where integrity, sustainability and innovation come together to create a better world for present and future generations.
With sincere gratitude and renewed commitment,
Paolo Chirico President & CEO Agrumaria Reggina/
ABOUT US
Reggina is a company specializing in customized ingredients and solutions for the nutrition and beauty sectors.
One of the vanguards of Italian industry, Agrumaria is now recognized all over the world.
ITALIAN HERITAGE
Deeply rooted in Italian tradition, our family business is located at the epicenter of Italian citrus farming.
FRUIT EXPERTS
Processing fruit is an art, and we are masters at what we do. It’s not just our extensive 35 years of experience that sets us apart, it’s our unwavering passion that truly makes the difference.
STRATEGIC APPROACH
Our partners have chosen us and continue to do so because we offer complete solutions, from market analysis and product development to production and product lifecycle management.
QUALITY AND SAFETY
From sourcing the finest citrus to meticulous supervision of the entire process: our quality is not just guaranteed - it’s a given.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Growth means evolution, and innovation is at the heart of everything we strive to do. This is how we maintain standards of the highest quality throughout the entire production process.
The Chirico Family is involved since the 1970s as a packaging company for citrus growers; a decade later Agrumaria Reggina expanded its activities to the Food & Beverage sector as an industrial supplier of citrus juices, taking advantage of established market relationships.
This was the first step toward our future as a major player in the industry.
In the 1990s, NFC (Not From Concentrate) juices are joined by products such as juice preparations for the beverage industry.
The company’s continued growth will convince the new generation to push the envelope even further.
The 2000s are the years of global expansion. New overseas sales bases are established, production capacity is enhanced, and the arrival of the third generation of the Chirico family strengthens the relationship between family and company, ensuring continuity and renewal.
Agrumaria Reggina’s achievements are the result of a vision that brings tradition and innovation together.
Today, with the latest generation at the helm and an eye on the challenges of tomorrow, Agrumaria Reggina is ready to enter a new phase in its journey.
It is the future that drives us. Every step we take is a step toward tomorrow.
We advance, leveraging our rich tradition and experience while embodying our core values and principles, which are more critical than ever in addressing the needs of our customers, employees, and our environment: in short, our planet.
Our vision is to be an innovative, sustainable and passionate company that supports its clients in improving the lives of their consumers.
Our mission is to develop and produce excellent solutions tailored to meet the needs of our clients and to provide their consumers with nutrition, joy and a unique experience.
50,000 m2
The size of our industrial area, complete with stateof-the-art technology and infrastructure.
+12,000 m2
The extent of our citrus groves, synonymous with quality, research and experience.
100
The number of our employees: a highly qualified and diverse team.
4 The categories within which our product range is divided.
160
The days of the year in which fruit is processed to meet growing demand.
+70% Export Percentage in Sales
We have come a long way since that distant year of 1985. As mentioned, today Agrumaria Reggina is an international reality. It doesn’t mean we will stop here.
Dear teams, partners and stakeholders,
I am pleased to share with you this important reflection on our journey toward sustainability, a topic that occupies a central position in our corporate vision and daily operations.
The decision to undertake a sustainability journey did not initially emerge as one with the defined objective of attaining B Corp certification; rather, it arose from a deep awareness: the urgency to improve our environmental and social impact as an unavoidable necessity, demanded not only by the future, but also by the present and - in a sense - by our past. We are a family business, and the idea of persevering over time and continuously seeking improvement is deeply rooted in our essence. This vision was my grandfather’s guiding star when he founded our company in 1985 with the hope of bequeathing it to his grandchildren so that they could one day carry on his legacy.
This realization takes the form not simply of a duty, but of a real need to integrate beauty and ethics into every aspect of our work.
During this exploration, we had the privilege of meeting NATIVA and discovering the B Corp model, which profoundly inspired us. In a context of weak sustainability legislation, the B Corp model emerges as a standard of excellence, offering us valuable tools to listen, confront and critically assess our impact. An impact that - it should be stressed - is not simply “created,” but is carefully analyzed and understood in its entirety. Hence the title of this report: Heritage and Innovation. Enhancing our Impact.
Every action we take is guided by an awareness of its impact, with the goal of integrating sustainability and responsibility into everything we do. Through innovative and sustainable practices, we work to ensure a greener and more prosperous future for generations to come.
Operating in the sectors of Nutrition and Beauty, we are fully aware of the influence our business has on people, customers, suppliers and, of course, the environment. Faced with this awareness, we asked ourselves: how can we take action? The answer was clear: by mobilizing ourselves to understand our impact in depth and identify ways to improve it. Today, more than ever, we are committed to cultivating the future. With every action we take, we are guided by the conviction that only through constant commitment to research and implementation of concrete actions we can aspire to a better tomorrow. A tomorrow that we wish to be better not only for ourselves and our community, but also for the whole world, in which we occupy a small but significant part.
With this letter, I would like to reaffirm our commitment to pursue this path with determination and invite each of you to actively engage in this important mission: to improve impact, together.
I thank you for your unwavering support and dedication.
Felice Chirico CEO & Chief Commercial Officer and B-Team Leader, Agrumaria RegginaWe cultivate the future
For any business, evolving does not just mean growing: it means changing. Making this change a positive one is a challenge that Agrumaria Reggina has decided to accept and uphold, not merely in words, not only from today. Our past has shown this, and now, our future confirms this.
Together with NATIVA, Agrumaria Reggina undertook a journey of analysis through the B Impact Assessment, a tool designed by B Lab that sets the standards for B Corporations, constructing improvement plans in all areas of sustainability impact.
In 2011, the concept of the benefit model - a groundbreaking economic model at the timefirst emerged from an article in Harvard Business Review. This model fosters systemic and inclusive change, promoting value to both shareholders and stakeholders while considering economic, social and environmental impacts. The model includes two key principles: a formal commitment, which in Italy entails transformation into a Benefit Company, and 360° measurement of its environmental, social and economic performance.
NATIVA is the Regenerative Design Company that supports hundreds of companies in a radical business evolution, accelerating their transition towards regenerative economic models.
It is the first Benefit Corporation in Europe and B Corp in Italy. In 2013, NATIVA contributed to the establishment of the B Corp Movement in Europe, and in 2015 it was part of the working group that made Italy the first country, after the United States, to introduce a law allowing companies to attain the status of Benefit
The pathway toward the Benefit model is well mapped out. We have already taken the first steps and are swiftly progressing toward our goals, espousing the principles we propose to apply to our business, the people around us and the entire planet.
By measuring ourselves using the B Impact Assessment we have gained an understanding of our sustainability performance in related business areas, here detailed in an impact profile for easier reading. We used this methodology - developed by NATIVAto strategically discern where we want to invest and create value and positive impact in the coming years, thus attaining an improved impact profile.
Corporation. It then helped spread this model to several other countries around the world.
In 2022, NATIVA, in collaboration with the Fondazione per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile, launched CO2alition, an initiative aimed at supporting companies in their transition towards climate neutrality. More than 90 businesses have joined the initiative.
www.nativa.eco https://co2alizione.eco/
On the left, our sustainability profile today. On the right, the improved profile, based on the goals we aim to reach in 2026 by implementing the Benefit model.
Governance
Customers
Mission and Engagement
Environment
People Contracts and Benefits
Suppliers
Community People Development and Flexibility
Customers
Environment
Suppliers
Ethics, transparency, and materiality. These are the starting points for the area of Governance.
Agrumaria Reggina is moving to adopt sustainable, responsible, and inclusive business practices and models, by extending monitoring of business activities to its stakeholders and by supporting the use of innovative training and measurement technologies. Transparency is a shared objective that impacts us all; unity in purpose is the only path to achieving significant progress.
We cultivate the future
We have drafted a Code of Ethics that covers the prohibition of all types of corruption, a formal oversight policy that includes direct or indirect political contributions, charitable donations and patronage, and public disclosure of financial contributions.
We have implemented a training process on the corporate Code of Ethics that covers all new employees.
We have implemented anti-corruption practices that include a formalized written whistleblowing policy with protection of confidentiality.
The first step is the formal commitment to become a Benefit Corporation and the involvement of stakeholders in this transformation, with an eye to providing training in both social-environmental and ethical issues, particularly on the anticorruption system.
The activities in this impact area correspond to the following SDGs:
Defining the vocation and the “purposes for common benefit” are the priorities in the year in which Agrumaria Reggina hopes to become a Benefit Corporation.
Performance begins to be monitored by the CDA while compensations includes social and environmental aspects. This year also marks the first Materiality Assessment and the first Impact Report, as well as preparations for the European Directives on Sustainability Reporting (CSRD).
The first year in which Agrumaria Reggina operates as a dual purpose company will also be the year of the release of its first report in line with the European Sustainability Directives (CSRD).
Environmental protection is more than a duty for us: it is a vocation.
Agrumaria Reggina is inextricably linked to the land, which requires us to take actions that actively contribute to the preservation of our biosphere. Decarbonization and energy efficiency, water and waste management, and circularity are not just on the agenda: measures to reduce our ecological footprint are already in place. When it comes to the environment, our future is more than rosy, it is green.
We cultivate the future
3,210,707 kWh
Energy purchased from the grid
400,000 kWh
Self-produced renewable energy
We have increased energy savings by more than 20% through conservation and energy efficiency.
We have activated recovery and recycling programs for paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and metal as well as for products and components in their end-of-life phase, to extend their use.
Non-hazardous waste generated
Hazardous waste generated
We established a system to ensure a responsible disposal of hazardous waste.
We have activated the processes needed to identify and eliminate potentially unsafe chemicals and materials and replace them with safer alternatives.
A new green purchasing policy and a survey of our packaging and materials will be implemented with a view to minimizing our environmental impact. These first steps will be followed by an indispensable commitment: setting targets for monitoring and reducing energy consumption.
The activities in this impact area correspond to the following SDGs:
After reporting our emissions and impact and verifying the achievement of set targets, Agrumaria Reggina will develop an assessment-based improvement plan of our products and processes. With regards to energy, we will also implement efficiency and conservation measures by increasing the use of renewable energy.
Measuring, optimizing and developing a long-term decarbonization plan. The year in which we will become a Benefit Corporation is the one in which we will address several fronts, from emissions analysis to centralizing environmental impacts, with a focus on water consumption and assessments of industrial processes, as well as on the life cycle of products.
Creating a positive work environment precedes sustainability metrics, having been a founding principle of our company since its inception.
Our people are our true value, a value to be protected and nurtured. That is why we strive to build paths of both personal and professional growth with each of them, instilling a healthy work culture and eradicating all forms of discrimination. It is their health, well-being and happiness that guide our actions. Wherever we get to, we will get there together.
In the past 12 months, we’ve delivered vocational training to over 75% of our workforce, enhancing their skillsets relevant to their respective roles and operations.
We have introduced supplementary health benefits such as disability coverage, accident insurance, and private dental insurance.
We have defined health coverage for more than 95% of employees and supplementary private health insurance for all.
We have activated processes to improve workers’ health and safety such as a formal reporting system, general planning policies, resource allocation on training and reporting, regular inspections, analysis and corrective actions.
/ IMPACT AREA: PEOPLE
100
Total employees
19 New hires*
70
People who have had access to training courses
4 Female managers (out of a total of 13)
13%
Employees who obtained an internal promotion*
*Date 2022/2023
We cultivate the future
Company welfare for every employee, increased training opportunities, and prevention and vaccine campaigns.
Agrumaria Reggina has taken many actions for workers’ welfare, even for those who are not yet in the company: strengthening our recruiting system, both in terms of talent scouting and inclusiveness, will be a priority. Our partnership with 4W4I has this purpose.
The activities in this impact area correspond to the following SDGs:
The year we will become a Benefit Corporation is also the year in which Agrumaria Reggina will introduce new childcare measures, an improved feedback process, meal vouchers, and workstation ergonomics efficiency programs. Also, on the subject of pay equity, the company will aim for gender parity certification. All this, striving to be awarded the title of Best Workplace at the end of the year.
Interventions from past years will be enhanced, from better monitoring of the quality of indoor spaces, full compliance with accessibility requirements for people with disabilities, to new parental benefits, such as increased weeks available for parental leave.
When we say that people are the lifeblood of a business, we extend this principle to include those who collaborate with us beyond our immediate company walls: both our customers and suppliers.
With regard to this specific impact area, Agrumaria Reggina pursues the objectives of satisfaction and sharing with customers - who will be provided with periodic selfanalyses in order to optimize our shared goals - and with suppliers - who will be highly involved in our transformation processes. Improving oneself so that we can improve together: a philosophy we have always held dear.
We have obtained quality and assurance certifications from third-party bodies for 100% of our products and subjected more than 75% of our major suppliers to regular quality checks.
We have created a collection system for customer feedback and activated even more secure consumer privacy and data management policies.
We have drafted a Code of Conduct with explicit social and environmental responsibilities and evaluation criteria for suppliers, and to which 100% of outsourced services are subject.
We have integrated a formal policy into the Code of Conduct for suppliers that makes them explicitly accountable for their own social and environmental performance.
We have sustained the supply chain by assuring fair pay, long-term relationships (an average of 60 months) and support for small suppliers with shorter payment terms.
It is the year of sharing. Agrumaria Reggina informs the vast majority of its suppliers of its internal and external policies and standards. It calls for more transparency from its supply chain.
The activities in this impact area correspond to the following SDGs:
The year in which customer satisfaction results are shared publicly. An act of transparency that Agrumaria Reggina will also ask of its suppliers through social and environmental performance assessments, data exchange and sharing of sustainability goals.
Internal audits and data leakage simulations:
These are the activities that Agrumaria will put in place during this year with regard to customer security. As for the supply chain, the company will start monitoring impacts and performance, risk areas, compliance with laws, certifications and governance practices, while defining new strategies and emission reduction targets.
Our land is also our home, and our family.
This is why Agrumaria Reggina has decided to develop a community impact strategy aimed at capturing the synergies between its business and the land, to create benefits for all. A strategy that includes philanthropic activities, donations and internal benefits that reward virtuous actions.
After all, to change the world we live in we must first change the way we live.
We cultivate the future
Scouting for specific causes toward which we can direct our efforts. This is the first step toward making a formal statement of the impact Agrumaria Reggina hopes to generate through its philanthropic activities.
The activities in this impact area correspond to the following SDGs:
Employees are involved in the impact journey. Membership in external initiatives is promoted and hours of community service are rewarded. In addition, the company’s facilities are made available to the community. Agrumaria will grow increasingly close to the territory: it will participate in public work tables and commit to activating a donation system.
Steady increase in energy-savings
Recovery, recycling and responsible waste disposal
Control and decreasing of emissions
Wage equity, inclusiveness and parenting policies
Renewed company welfare
Enhancement of internal training and recruiting
Fair remuneration for the supply chain
Social and environmental evaluation criteria for suppliers
A long-term decarbonization plan
Focus on worker health and safety
A new Code of Ethics
Internal performance monitoring
New community impact strategies
We cultivate the
The activities in this impact area correspond to the following SDGs:
In a world that is rapidly moving toward integrating sustainability into every aspect of daily life, Agrumaria Reggina had the opportunity to partner with WAMI, an innovative Italian B Corp that marries a social responsibility mission with a commitment to the environment.
One hundred liters of drinking water goes to those in need for every bottle of mineral water consumed: this is one of the many virtuous actions undertaken by WAMI, a brand in the beverage world born with the mission of providing access to water to populations that, as of today, are deprived of it. In 2021, the Italian start-up took another step toward sustainability with the creation of Wanderfuse: a line of organic teas and infusions born by blending natural Italian ingredients with those from regions benefiting from WAMI’s water projects. Here is where the collaboration with Agrumaria Reggina was born: supporting WAMI in the development of these innovative beverages, ensuring a careful selection of ingredients and producers, and contributing significantly to the creation of a perfect balance between flavor, quality and social impact.
Giacomo Stefanini, CEO and founder of WAMI, said: «Wanderfuse is a line of 4 different organic teas and infusions: Bao, with its floral character, distinguished by the Baobab fruit from Senegal, complete with elderflower and clementine; Guayusa, the super leaf from Ecuador, with mint and lemon; Greenie, made from green tea from Sri Lanka, with ginger and lime; Chai, which combines black tea from Sri Lanka with orange and spices from Tanzania. Agrumaria Reggina has been a key partner in finding the right balance between all the ingredients and selecting the best producers. Wanderfuse, in addition to being BIO (organic) certified and containing very low sugar, donates 100 liters of drinking water like the rest of WAMI’s product line and promotes economic development in local communities, contributing to several UN SDGs.»
”The partnership between Agrumaria Reggina and WAMI reflects a shared commitment to creating products that not only refresh, but also contribute to the greater good by supporting the sustainable development and the wellbeing of global communities.
Giacomo Stefanini, CEO and founder of WAMIThe journey toward greater sustainability and social responsibility has led us to carefully select our travel companions. One of these is ODDS, a leading communications and design agency specializing in sectors such as agri-food, industrial, cosmetics and luxury goods. In ODDS we have identified the ideal partner to strengthen our presence in the world of fragrances.
Forging branding strategies that not only elevate our brand, but also reflect a deep commitment to ethical and sustainable practices. The partnership between Agrumaria Reggina and ODDS was born with this in mind and continues with shared core principles, at the heart of which lies the belief that success in today’s marketplace requires actions that generate a positive impact on society and environment.
Their recognition as a B Corp has reinforced this synergy and confirmed their commitment to sustainability, as also stated by Stéphane Bouquet, ODDS General Manager and B Leader.
«The B Corp Certification is an important reflection of our commitment to sustainability over the past 15 years. It marks a crucial milestone in our ongoing journey to increase long-term impact and drive systemic change in our customers’ business model. In this situation of unprecedented urgency, we feel an even greater responsibility to contribute. Through the efforts of companies like ours and like Agrumaria Reggina, we are creating standards, policies, tools and programs that are changing the behavior, culture and structure of today’s economic system.»
”With Agrumaria Reggina we share the same values with respect to what a sustainable economy should be. Odds agency is very proud to support their responsible communication.
Stéphane Bouquet, ODDS General Manager and B LeaderTimes change, needs evolve. To ensure that its partners have access to the most advanced and innovative solutions, Agrumaria Reggina partnered with Policom, a visionary leader in the development of plant-based Food & Beverage products.
What began as an anti-animal cruelty effort has become a food revolution. The growth of plant-based products goes beyond the trend of vegan food: it is necessary in striving for more responsible and sustainable consumption. Agrumaria Reggina recognizes this, which is why the collaboration with Policom should be seen as a first step toward a new conceptualization of the world of Food & Beverage.
Policom is a leader in the plant-based market and provides its customers with superior quality ingredients that are 100% Made in Italy. With them, we created Nutrition Venture, a platform that embodies Agrumaria Reggina’s commitment to improving global wellness and opening new frontiers in the plant-based sector by bringing sustainable, cutting-edge products to market.
The product line that has emerged from this partnership is a testament to our vision: premium nut pastes made to enhance dairy alternatives, rich and creamy spreads and fillings, ready-to-use composites, and syrups prized for their natural sweetness and creamy texture. All in the name of quality, versatility and sustainability.
Plant-based is not a trend. It is the natural evolution of the food & beverage market.
”Felice Chirico, CEO & Chief Commercial Officer B-Team Leader Agrumaria Reggina
In our commitment to sustainability and corporate responsibility, it is critical that we adopt and promote standards that reflect these values. One of the most recognized and respected standards in agriculture is GlobalG.A.P., an international benchmark for good agricultural practices.
GlobalG.A.P. certification focuses on crucial aspects such as food safety, animal welfare, environmental management, and worker health and safety, ensuring that agricultural products are managed responsibly and sustainably.
Adopting the GlobalG.A.P. standard means committing to a production that meets strict environmental and social criteria, aiming to minimize one’s negative impact on the environment and continuously improve production processes. This certification assures our customers and partners that the citrus fruits we select for them come from crops that produce excellent quality fruit in an ethical and sustainable manner.
We are proud to announce that in the 2023 citrus season, 21% of our oranges came from GlobalG.A.P.certified crops. This is a tangible sign of our commitment to ensuring a fully sustainable supply chain, by offering high quality products resulting from responsible agricultural practices. Antonio Delfino, our Purchase Manager, stresses the importance of this achievement:
«GlobalG.A.P. certification is more than just a standard: it is a symbol of our commitment to sustainable and responsible agricultural practices. Ensuring compliance with these criteria across such a significant share of our production has not been an easy task, but it has been made possible through close collaboration with our farmers; by working closely with them, we have been able to share knowledge, technologies and practices that not only improve product quality, but also protect the environment and improve conditions on their farms. This is an accomplishment that we are extremely proud of and one that reinforces our commitment to being a leader in sustainability.»
”Choosing GlobalG.A.P.certified sourcing for such a large percentage of product demonstrates our commitment to sustainability. In the years to come this percentage is set to grow even further.
Antonio Delfino, Purchase Manager Agrumaria RegginaIn nature, there is no waste: everything regenerates, everything becomes life. This is the same philosophy we pursue at Agrumaria Reggina. Every day, we work to reduce waste by transforming our by-products into agricultural inputs to be returned to the biosphere.
Circular economy is at the core of our production chain, and for years Agrumaria Reggina has been striving to turn its waste into resources, starting with water management: the water produced and collected during processing cycles is channeled into our purification system, which has the capacity to handle a volume of water equivalent to that of a city of 80,000 inhabitants. Here, through a process of complete purification, we obtain clean water that is reintroduced into the public system (in the form of surface water).
Even further: our dry sludge, a by-product of the processing of our fruit, finds new life through our circular system, becoming composted soil fertiliser, destined for agriculture use. These actions not only exemplify our commitment to environmental sustainability, but equally reflect our innovative approach to resource management.
Watch our video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKNFw4x7Z_g&t=11s
In a world where increasing demand and the climate crisis threaten the planet’s resources, the transition to the implementation of a circular economy is essential for our future.
Antonio Delfino, Purchase Manager Agrumaria RegginaHeadquarter & Plant
Via Nazionale Gallico, 167 89135 Reggio Calabria - Italy
t +39 0965 650 382 agrumariareggina.it nutritionventure.it