Innovation and substantial investment have been key to increasing the sustainability of agricultural
practices in Italy – from the way land is farmed through to the packaging used for produce.
At a production level, Italian engineers were the first to create a methane-powered tractor in a
significant move towards reducing carbon emissions. At the other end of the supply chain,
manufacturing is increasingly geared towards a circular economy. This has been achieved, at least
in part, by the establishment of a national governmental body focused on responsible packaging and
dedicated to the sustainability and recycling of materials. The compostable packaging market in Italy is
well developed; packaging is treated in plants where it generates energy and can be returned to the soil
as organic carbon and nutrients3.
The growing emphasis on sustainability in Italian agriculture has helped attract a growing number of
young people, especially women, to pursue a career in farming. Italy is currently ranked first in Europe
for the number of under-35s employed in the agricultural sector, according to Italy’s farming
association – and the younger generation is adopting new technologies that hinge on environmental
responsibility. Today, one in four of these young farmers is a degree-holding woman4.