Cultivation techniques used in agricultural areas have huge impacts on food quality, human health and the environment; in general, the State of Global Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture report, launched by FAO in January 2019, presents worrying evidence that the biodiversity underpinning our food systems is disappearing. This makes it all the more important that all operators in the food supply chain promote and apply production regulations aimed at ensuring long-term sustainability according to an agro-ecological vision.
To this end, the “Carta del Mulino” represents an innovative set of guidelines for sustainable agriculture, consisting of 10 rules that will be updated annually with increasing commitment to continuous improvement and designed to bring quality to products, support the work of farming communities and restore space to nature in agro-ecosystems, promoting biodiversity, reducing the use of chemicals and protecting pollinating insects. Some of the rules of the “Carta del Mulino”, which offer numerous benefits, include dedicating 3% of the fields to flowers, using selected seeds, crop rotation, promoting physical methods for storing grain, and economic recognition to cover the necessary costs distributed throughout the supply chain.
The objectives range from preserving the structure of the soil and increasing its fertility, promoting the life of pollinating insects such as bees that play a decisive role in the balance of the ecosystem, promoting the best varieties of wheat to ensure quality bakery products, ensuring lots of soft wheat remain traceable during all stages, all the way through to storage. The entire supply chain is rigorously monitored by a third-party control body.