Deoleo, the global leader in olive oil, today resolved its commitment to raising industry standards with a major step forward in the company’s sustainability strategy. Years in the making, the company is launching new SKUs of the Bertolli and Carapelli brands that offer sustainability assurances to consumers nationwide.
Arriving to U.S. grocers this summer, the new SKUs will include sustainably sourced versions of Bertolli and Carapelli extra virgin olive oils — “Bertolli Sustainably Sourced” and “Carapelli Original Sustainable” respectively. Deoleo will also introduce a new QR code technology in partnership with IBM that provides consumers additional layers of process traceability in the journey of “Carapelli 100% ITALIAN” from tree to table. Other SKUs currently have a similar QR code that focuses on educating consumers on the company’s sustainability initiatives.
These initiatives protect the authenticity and quality of Deoleo’s products, bringing to life a small part of the company’s much larger sustainability approach and dovetailing other recently launched milestones such as the launch of Bertolli Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil in 100 percent recycled plastic bottles in the U.S. last year.
“As the world’s largest olive oil company, we have a responsibility to our heritage, our industry and most importantly, our consumers to deliver sustainability. We will continue to drive toward this goal through a holistic approach that addresses every step of the process. The sustainability conversation is multifaceted, and while these new SKUs are significant, they represent a small part of our global vision,” shares Thierry Moyroud, CEO of Deoleo North America.
At the heart of Deoleo’s sustainability strategy, established in 2019, are four areas of action materialized through its brands and under the theme of “Caring for What Cares for You”:
Sustainable Production: Deoleo is committed to responsible farming to ensure the highest quality olives possible and to preserve olive farming for generations to come. In 2018, in collaboration with Intertek, a leading total quality assurance provider, Deoleo established the industry’s first-ever Sustainability Protocol for extra virgin olive oil products. To date, 70 olive oil mills and nearly 680,000 acres of olive groves across Italy, Spain, Tunisia and Argentina have received certification, advancing more than 40,000 farmers into a new era of olive farming.
Recycled plastic bottles: Deoleo continues to transition to 100 percent recycled plastic. In 2022, Bertolli Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil became the first global brand to launch olive oil packaged in 100% rPET in the U.S. Now, the company is rolling out a series of additional initiatives to reduce the consumption of resources in its packaging, including optimizing the weight of its plastic packaging up to 10 percent, which will generate a total reduction of approximately 110 tons of plastic each year globally.
Transparency and Traceability: Deoleo is reinforcing its commitment to transparency by empowering consumers with knowledge. Later this summer, the new IBM Food Trust technology, a blockchain-backed QR code, will launch with the “Carapelli 100% ITALIAN” SKU, enabling consumers to trace the journey of their olive oil and verify its origin and quality.
Greener Factories: Deoleo continues to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through various measures. Initiatives include investments in energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies as well as energy consumption audits and viability studies. PreZero, an international waste and recycling management leader, has already deemed Deoleo’s Tavernelle and Alcolea plants “Zero waste plants” and in 2023, the Alcolea plant will further receive photovoltaic panels to generate even more clean energy. Such steps demonstrate the company’s aim to maintain and strengthen zero waste certification which aligns to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Deoleo’s purpose in ‘Caring for What Cares for You’ is clear,” says Moyroud. “Our framework is built upon the value that action speaks volumes. To that end, we will remain laser focused on delivering tangible innovation and initiatives that don’t solely respond to market trends, but rather transform sustainability of the entire olive oil category worldwide.”
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