A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE STATE OF ITALIAN MILLS ON THE “GREEN” CHALLENGE

by Editorial Staff

In the scenario in which climate change brings more frequent natural disasters caused by the choices made by man and industry, the latter have found themselves having to and wanting to be more proactive towards “green” topics. Over the years, companies’ motivation has actually evolved from a regulatory “obligation” to a desire to distinguish themselves from their competitors in order to be chosen by various stakeholders. Indeed, the adoption of sustainable strategies allows companies to improve their reputation and increase the added value of their products. At the same time, success lies in the effective and timely implementation of sustainable policies and subsequent communication to consumers, with the ultimate goal of creating permanent links with them. Drawing up reports on a company’s environmental performance and its positive and negative aspects also tends to have a positive impact on a company’s reputation. In fact, this is a way to provide stakeholders with additional information, thus increasing their trust in that company. Therefore, the reasoning proceeds by logical steps: a company that is influenced by stakeholders’ expectations about “green” topics, changes its production, distribution and communication policies in order to meet their demands or expectations; this causes the brand’s reputation to increase. Increased reputation, in turn, generates several effects, including increased funding. In fact, investors consider companies with a higher reputation to be more solid because, assuming that risks are smaller, they tend to be more willing to invest in them.

Sustainability through raw materials’ traceability

In this context, the agricultural sector is considered as one of the main contributors to climate change and represents the main threat to biodiversity due to dependence on plant protection products, the transformation of natural habitats to make room for crops and the use of large amounts of water for irrigating fields. As it is well known, cereals and in particular wheat are the staple food of the Italian diet. In Italy, thanks to skilled artisans and milling industries, flour and flour products are transformed into typical products of the Mediterranean diet such as bread, pasta and pizza. These products are appreciated worldwide, not only in Italy. In the wake of what has been written above, consumer tastes have changed in recent years and research to produce new products with different types of flour has required new production flexibility. In addition, consumers are increasingly attentive to wheat origin and quality and this is possible only through traceability of the entire supply chain. In the digital age, when digitalization is widely applied also to the processing industry, efficient and flexible production requires the adoption of automation and digitalization processes within the plant. This certainly implies an increase in energy efficiency and production quality, energy savings and waste prevention, but not only. In fact, the implementation of these solutions makes it possible to obtain reliable information and trace the history of a product, from raw material to final production. For the milling sector, and for the food industry in general, keeping up with this transformation is a daily challenge. The milling industry must turn towards new production methods and new products; in this way, it is also easier to adapt to changing consumer lifestyles. To achieve these goals, advanced technologies must be applied. For example, today traditional or manual processing is supported by data management, automation systems as well as the Internet of Things. However, in addition to constant innovation and the development of new types of flours and flour products, it is essential to meet food safety requirements and avoid “crosscontamination” during the production process. In fact, food intolerances are on the rise and this is why companies must be very careful during production: traceability from raw materials to finished products is the only way to guarantee food safety. The milling sector also needs contaminant mitigation solutions, reliable information as well as real-time quality monitoring. It is also crucial to guarantee and certify the origin of raw materials to avoid possible counterfeiting.

Sustainability and energy efficiency

As it is well known, milling is generally a very simple and clean production process, in which the environmental impact is limited to electricity consumption and the use of water in the wheat conditioning stage before the actual grinding stage. Although the milling industry and the cereal supply chain represent a virtuous sector in terms of environmental protection and preservation, it is possible to make the transformation process more sustainable. If action is taken also in the upstream phase of grinding for instance. In recent years, several sustainable supply chains involving primary production - first and second processing stages - have been created in Italy. Also in the light of the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork strategy, which aim at reducing environmental impact, fighting against climate change, and protecting and increasing biodiversity. Going back to processing, to produce sustainable flour and semolina it is important to start from monitoring the consumption of energy sources and water to avoid waste, analyse the suction of processing dust to reduce losses and malfunctions, and the purification of waste water coming from cleaning and conditioning operations. Again, once the environmental impact generated by flour and semolina production is clear, it is possible to intervene to reduce the impact with actions that lead to energy savings in the plant and, in the specific case of a mill, with activities that could involve energy-efficient electric motors, compressors, and refrigeration systems. Staying competitive, ensuring quality and flexibility without compromising on sustainability, is not an easy task. However, today success means integration of plants and processes through digital and connected technologies. It is no longer about producing “only” flour that is hygienically safe and good, but it is about creating food that is also good for the planet.

Investing in sustainability: a cost or added value?

As recently stated by Ismea president Professor Angelo Frascarelli, in the nottoo-distant future a non-sustainable company will no longer exist, for sustainability is not a cyclical factor but a structural one. After all, it is