Eataly launches Eataly alla Radice, a project for a fully traced and transparent supply chain, from field to shelf. It begins with pasta.
It is called Eataly alla Radice and it is the new supply chain project promoted by Eataly with the scientific coordination of the Università degli Studi di Palermo and Slow Food Italia, and verified by RINA, a multinational certification group operating in more than seventy countries. Launched on 15 October with a selection of 100% Italian durum wheat semolina pasta formats signed by Eataly (spaghetti, linguine, rigatoni and paccheri), it aims to promote and enhance, in a structured and transparent way, the quality, traceability and identity characteristics of the product.
"We are proud to present Eataly alla Radice with the first supply chain dedicated to our pasta, a symbol of our gastronomic culture," commented Andrea Cipolloni, CEO of Eataly Group. "This project represents an important step in our commitment to building a traced and transparent supply chain model, for the benefit of our customers and the producers we work with. Our hope is that this journey can soon extend to other supply chains within the Eataly Icons line, strengthening the connection between Italian excellence, responsibility and innovation."
Stefania Iacobelli, Head of branded products at Eataly, added: "Eataly alla Radice is a further step forward and an enhancement of our own-brand products, which embody the brand's values and are chosen by consumers for the trust they place in our selection of producers."
The heart of the Eataly alla Radice project is the development of a technical supply chain specification based on the principles of agroecology — a set of practices, policies and agricultural systems aimed at improving climate resilience, the health of soil and water, biodiversity and ecosystem services, through crop diversification, land conservation and the adoption of integrated systems such as agroforestry or crop rotation.
This approach takes shape across four impact areas — Land, Climate, Water, Identity — each containing a series of requirements that must be met by all actors in the supply chain, from primary field production through to processing, packaging and labelling, and which are developed with a view to continuous evolution and improvement.
"The Land impact area contains the requirements on agroecology practices," explained Chiara Murano, Head of sustainability at Eataly. "The Climate impact area contains the standards for reducing emissions, the Water impact area lists the standards for reducing water impact, and the Identity area gathers the requirements on respect for the connection with the local territory and community. And our objectives drive us towards continuous improvement."
"Transition requires courage and Eataly has shown it. The specification is grounded in agroecology principles that go beyond organic and zero-residue farming. Land is considered the most important natural resource for producing food, and so this project goes to the root — to the protection of soil, fields and water, but also of territory and relationships," declared Francesco Sottile, associate at the Department of Architecture of the Università degli Studi di Palermo and vice president of Slow Food Italia.
The role of certification body RINA was to validate the specification by verifying the consistency between the requirements and objectives, as well as the clarity and measurability of the standards, and subsequently to verify compliance with the requirements within the supply chain — a process that will continue on an ongoing basis throughout the project's three-year cycle. "This process helps to strengthen the trust of stakeholders and highlights Eataly's ongoing commitment to offering products of excellence," explained Simona Gullace, Head of Food Product Management at RINA.
The Eataly alla Radice pasta supply chain is made up of durum wheat producers Fondazione Siniscalco Ceci Emmaus and ATS Agri — agricultural operations in the Foggia countryside committed to social projects, the reduction of energy consumption and emissions, and the promotion of local supply chains that strengthen the bond between agriculture and territory; Molino De Vita, a family-run milling facility in the hills of the Monti Dauni overlooking the plains of the province of Foggia, registered in the Registry of Italian Excellences as an ambassador company of Made in Italy, for combining tradition and innovation in the production of durum wheat semolina; and finally, Premiato Pastificio Afeltra, a historic establishment in Gragnano since 1848: situated at the foot of the Monti Lattari and the Valle dei Mulini, the pasta factory draws from its territory the microclimate, water springs and centuries-old expertise. Bronze-die extrusion and slow low-temperature drying preserve the flavour of the wheat.
On the packaging of Eataly alla Radice pasta, a QR code links to a page containing the narrative label created by Slow Food Italia. Here consumers can find information on agronomic practices, the cultural identity of the product, and in-depth insights into improvement pathways. "The narrative label takes us by the hand and plunges us into reality: it is a simple yet revolutionary tool that gives consumers immense power and reflects a commitment to transparency and to giving value to a model built on care and respect," said Serena Milano, director general of Slow Food Italia.
From Saturday 25 October, World Pasta Day, Eataly alla Radice pasta will also feature on the menus of Eataly's restaurants as the Spaghetto Eataly.